


Blood and bond

by mordredllewelynjones



Series: Nygmobblepot alternate timeline [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Gotham (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Timeline AU, Alternate Timelines, Angst, Blood, Court of Owls, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Lots of Angst, M/M, Married Couple, Mayor and Chief of Staff, Murder, Murder Husbands, Season/Series 03, Sequel, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Temporary Character Death, Tetch Virus, Violence, dock scene, gotham 3x14 dock scene, married, they will be together at the end though I promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2019-07-07 08:42:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15904833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mordredllewelynjones/pseuds/mordredllewelynjones
Summary: Marital bliss is hard enough to find at the best of times and life in Gotham city presents its own unique challenges. Those that can put even Ed's love for Oswald to the test.Sequel to: In plain sight.Alternate timeline/au. Set in Season 3.No sex or rude stuff in this story.Work in progress: tags, warnings and rating subject to change. (Won't go higher than a M rating with graphic violence and major character death warnings.)





	1. The come back tour no one asked for.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dragofelid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragofelid/gifts), [Gottaread2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gottaread2/gifts).



> Hello and welcome to Nygmobblepot season 3! I said I'd be back, didn't I? :)  
> Thank you to everyone who has read the previous fics and decided to follow me to this one. I love you! Now, my mental and emotional state aren't as great as they were when I was doing the other two so updates/progress might be a bit slower than before. However, the show will go on! :) (In fact the plan is to do a season 4 fic after this one to finish the series off.)  
> This fic is dedicated to my friend @DracoFelin on Tumblr who has been my brain storming buddy through out this series. I couldn't have done it without you!!! Thank you! You are a great friend! It is also dedicated to Gottaread2 who always leaves such lovely and motivating comments on all my nygmobblepot fics. They really make my day and help me to continue writing. (Gottaread2 is a great writr by the way. I totally recommend their fics.)  
> Last IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! This fic will take us through season 3. However, the first two chapters will be set at the end of season 2. For the sake of plot the events in chapter 2 happen the day after the events in chapter 1 (I can't remember what the real canon timeline looks like at this point. Lol.)

Ed would later reflect on how lucky it was that Oswald had outright refused on leaving the city for their honeymoon. At first everyone had thought he was being a little too paranoid, there was no sign of anything big or catastrophic enough to topple Penguin's empire. They had, of course, been proven wrong. The appearance of Azrael or Theo Galavan, as Oswald continued to refer to him as, was completely unexpected and raised many questions. For the man that was scaling buildings in a cape was definitely Theo Galavan, in body at least. His personality though seemed much altered, he had changed past almost all recognition.

  
Gone was the man who tried to win over the crowd with a smile and supposed clean image, Azrael had proved that he didn't care who his blade slaughtered. Oswald failed to be intimidated by Galavan's reappearance and more public attitude to murder, however. Or at least he pretended to be. In fact, he joked that this whole Azrael stunt was just a way for Theo to cover up his obvious leather fetish. It was a seriously flawed theory to be sure but one which Zsasz in particular found very amusing and it was quickly becoming a favourite among their circle of close friends and associates. All jokes aside, however, Theo Galavan was undoubtedly alive and walking the streets once more which was something that couldn't go unchecked. The man was responsible for an attempt on Gertrud's life which meant that he had to go. It was as simple as that.

  
Except it wasn't. The first thing they had to figure out was how he was alive in the first place. Being stabbed in the eye and left to bleed out didn't tend to leave you in the mood for running around the city chasing cops. The second problem was the task of finding him. Apart from an attempt on Jim Gordon's life he had revealed nothing about his intentions which made him difficult to track. What did reanimated former mayoral candidates do in their spare time?

  
Although they were supposedly doing everything they could to apprehend the latest Gothamite to cheat the grim reaper, the GCPD might as well have been sitting on their hands for all the progress they were making. In the end, as always, Edward took matters into his own hands and with a little help from his friends at the station he managed to make some headway. It was surprising the amount of important information that the police readily dismissed simply because they deemed it irrelevant. After a bit of digging around he had discovered some, admittedly bizarre, leads which was why he was now driving at breakneck speed towards Wayne manor in attempt to track down Galavan based on the movements of some mysterious battle hardened monks that had been causing trouble in the city a few months back.

  
Evil monks, it seemed, were in the habit of siding with corrupt billionaires over petty trifles. Petty trifles to do with the Waynes to be exact. It turned out that the Galavans had helped found Gotham city but had been cast out after a feud with the Waynes. The monks, whose patron saint was an ancient ancestor of Theo's who had also gone by the name of Azrael, had been plotting for generations to get revenge and even after Theo's initial demise they had returned to the city to do just that. After his resurrection Galavan might just have found out about their attempts to kill Bruce Wayne and decided to finish the job. It was a long shot and one based around a fascinating yet extremely delusional family history (which Ed tried to tell an uninterested Oswald during the drive to the manor) but it was the best lead they had so far.

  
They screeched to a halt outside of Wayne manor and it was soon clear that they arrived just in time. The sound of gunshots rang through the air as they parked the car haphazardly outside the main gates and got out. Reaching behind him to the back seat, Edward picked up the deadly weapon they had chosen for the task at hand before following Oswald to the scene of the commotion.

  
Jim Gordon had joined a worried looking Alfred Pennyworth in fussing over Bruce Wayne, his back turned on his victim and obviously confident that Azrael had finally been laid to waste. As it turned out you needed a little more than bullets to keep this guy down for the count. Edward watched with fascination as Galavan picked himself up off the ground and staggered towards the group, the bullet holes in his chest doing little to dampen his determination. Ed wondered what had happened to the man to make him so resilient. Such a far cry from the suit clad businessman he had been during life. It was a shame really that there wouldn't be much of a body left, Ed lamented, he would have loved to have had a dig around to see what made this reanimated corpse tick.

  
Having realised that the danger had not yet passed, Gordon threw himself in front of Pennyworth and the boy before drawing his gun once more. Click. Click. Jim stared in dismay at the empty pistol in his hand as Galavan laughed cruelly, advancing menacingly as he did so.

  
"You should know by now that bullets don't kill this monster."

  
Azrael whipped round at the sound of Oswald's voice, his restored eyes glinting with recognition. Calm, confident and determined to put on a show, Penguin strode forwards a few paces, stopping just a short way in front of his adversary and slinging his umbrella jauntily over his shoulder with a smirk.

  
"And you, Theo" he added spitefully "really should have realised that you don't stand a chance in this city as long as I'm around. After what you did to my mother I'd like nothing better than to shove this umbrella down your throat or preferably somewhere even more painful. Unfortunately there isn't going to be enough of you left. Such a shame. See you in hell, Theo."

  
Having given the signal Oswald quickly moved sideways out of the line of fire. "Ah" said Galavan as he eyed the weapon in Edward's hands. He knew he was doomed. Ed swallowed nervously as he rested the rocket launcher against his shoulder and tried his best to plant his feet firmly on the ground. This was really more Butch's area of expertise but he was busy keeping an eye on Tabitha whilst Zsasz was protecting Oswald's parents in case Galavan had passed on any plans for revenge onto some unknown associates. You could never be too careful, Penguin always insisted.

  
Hoping against hope that he didn't mess this up, Ed took aim and fired. He staggered backwards from the recoil, watching with bated breath as the missile flew threw the air. Then Azrael exploded into what Detective Bullock would later refer to poetically as 'meat dust." One thing was for sure, there was no way he was going to pull off resurrection a second time. "Wow!" Ed gasped before bursting out laughing. He had just blown someone up. What a day.

  
"Next time, Jim" said Penguin, throwing his over excited husband a slightly exasperated look over his shoulder as he addressed the shell shocked cop "bring the right tools for the job. There's no need to thank me." Flashing Galavan's would-be victims a smug smile Oswald span around and lead the way back to the car, leaving Bruce, Jim and Alfred reeling.

  
"That was fun" Edward said a moment later, grinning sheepishly as he stowed the rocket launcher in the back seat once more. He may have gotten a little carried away back there. "Indeed" Oswald replied with feeling, finally able to properly relish in the satisfaction of revenge well served. Despite his pretence that dignity should be maintained at all times he had felt the same thrill that Edward had whilst watching bits of Galavan fly to the far-flung corners of the earth and he was glad that he could finally show it.

  
He pulled Ed down by the tie so as to steal a quick kiss. "Now all we've got to do is find out once and for all who was responsible for Galavan's unwelcome return in the first place" he said as he got into the front passenger seat. Ed's face fell slightly as he too got back in the car and started the engine. He knew what that meant and he wasn't looking forward to it one bit.


	2. Hugo Strange's monster mystery tour (escape bus not included.)

It was a bright and sunny day, by Gotham standards anyway which considering what a dark and dingy city it was wasn’t saying much. Not that Ed was getting much chance to enjoy the weather. He sneezed as yet another cobweb found its way up his nose before making to wipe the grime and dust from his glasses. This wasn’t his idea of fun. Trying to ignore the painful twinges shooting through his spine, he continued to crawl through the ventilation shafts of Arkham Asylum, cursing Hugo Strange’s taste when it came to his base of operations.

  
After a bit of digging around Ed had discovered that the body of Theo Galavan had been sent to Arkham Asylum, as had the corpses of many other dangerous individuals and among those was the remains of the late Fish Mooney. Not only did this information give a good indication as to who was responsible for Galavan’s short lived return but it also gave Penguin cause for concern. What if Theo wasn’t the only enemy planning on making a come back?

  
They had to find out what Strange was hiding and they had to find out fast. Azrael’s overzealous reappearance and subsequent demise would no doubt have put the professor on edge and it was unlikely that he would hang around for much longer. If they were going to catch him in the act of playing god then they would have to do it sooner rather than later.

  
Which was why Ed was currently squeezing himself through the air vents of the asylum, trusty satchel in tow. To walk in through the front doors would be impossible, the institute never received visitors and to just randomly appear on the doorstep was bound to cause suspicion. He had toyed with the idea of disguising himself as a member of staff, a guard perhaps, but even that would still be too conspicuous. As Penguin’s husband he was just too easy to recognise. The vents were the only option then if he was to sneak in relatively unnoticed. It didn’t make it any more comfortable though.

  
Certain that he was now a decent way inside of the building, although not 100% sure of his exact whereabouts within its structure, Edward kicked open a grate underneath him and dropped down into the room below. Unfortunately he failed to notice that the room was already occupied.

  
“Ahh!” he screamed before clapping his hands over his mouth as a large man with pointed yellowing teeth rushed towards him with a snarl, the only thing keeping the two of them apart was a thick chain which kept the man tethered to the wall. “I’m hungry” Stirk growled, a sinister glint in his eyes as he strained against his bonds in a desperate attempt to get at his new ‘cell mate.’ Ed shuddered. Of all the inmates he could have encountered he had to go and land in the same room as a cannibal.

  
The mans hot, smelly breath tickled his face as he tried to get up the courage to make a move towards the door, his back pressed right up against the wall in attempt to put as much space between the two of them as possible. Those chains didn’t look as though they would hold for long. Knowing that staying here would lead to either discovery or being eaten alive, Edward edged his way over to the door, heart thumping loudly inside his chest with terror as he turned his back on his would be attacker so as to pick the lock of the cell door.

  
Finally the lock clicked and the door gave way. “Sorry but Edward Nygma-Cobblepot is off the menu” Ed taunted as he slammed the door shut behind him, much more confident now that he had reached the safety of the corridor. He laughed weakly in relief. His ordeal was far from over, however. Looking around his featureless surroundings as Stirk’s frustrated snarls echoed in his ears, Ed wondered where on earth he was going to start.

  
Despite Arkham’s lack of interference from the outside world it was still a functioning mental institution so the likelihood of Professor Strange keeping his dodgy dealings anywhere that was easily accessible to patients, accidentally or otherwise, was slim. There had to be a secret strong room of some sorts, an off limits side building or perhaps a laboratory in the basement somewhere. Edward’s money was on the latter. After all, Jim Gordon had once told of a former patient who had camped out in the basement for years. If someone who had had their brains fried by a man scientist could manage to keep secrets down there then someone as tenacious as Hugo Strange would have no problems making use of an already neglected part of the building. The question was, how was it hidden and how could it be found?

  
Being careful to avoid getting caught on one of the many security cameras, Ed sneaked along the corridor in search for clues, certain that he would be discovered at any moment. However, he remained undisturbed as he snooped. Either the security personnel at Arkham were completely incompetent or they were busy elsewhere. Regardless of the reason for its existence, Ed hoped that his luck would continue to hold out until his job was done. He didn’t fancy being trapped in a mental institute for the rest of his life or being turned into a Azrael-esque zombie.

  
Stumbling across the laundry room, Ed ducked inside and quickly pulled on a striped inmates uniform over the top of his, now filthy, suit in the hope that it would help him blend in better. After all, the art of disguise was knowing how to hide in plain sight and another figure within the sea of monochrome stripes was hardly going to attract attention.  
Thus hidden and able to move around more freely he began the hunt for Azrael’s birthplace began in earnest, hanging around in the background as he watched the movements of both patients and staff. He wasn’t sure how much time passed, it could very well have been hours, but eventually he began to notice a pattern. There was a corridor which only members of staff ever went down but never returned from. That seemed like a good place to start.

  
“What’s down there?”

  
The woman didn’t even look up from her book as she answered him, something for which Edward was very grateful. He had hoped that she would be too distracted to really notice him and was glad that he had been right.

  
“Nothing. It’s a dead end” Sharon muttered, seeming either to not know or simply not care that the person she was talking to was someone who had no right to be there. Edward grinned excitedly. “How interesting” he whispered to himself before going to confirm whether his unwitting informant was correct which indeed she was. Ed span around slowly, taking in the three blank walls which surrounded him. This was it. He could feel it. All that remained was to find the entrance to the place where Hugo Strange stashed his darkest secrets.

  
Rooting around in his bag, he pulled out his battery powered UV lamp and a squeeze bottle of ammonia and immediately got to work. The good thing with having worked in forensics was that he knew exactly how to look for things that others wished to keep hidden. Starting in one corner he made his way along every inch of wall, reaching high and low as he sprayed it with ammonia and shone the light over it in the hope of revealing a clue but it wasn’t until he got to the last expanse of wall that something showed up. A small concentration of fingerprints to be exact.

  
Gasping with delight, Edward put his tools aside before pulling at the edge of the metal ‘chair rail’ trim that ran along the wall and in doing so opening a hatch to unveil a keyhole. Quickly he reached for his lock pick. With a click the wall slid sideways to reveal a small elevator which Ed entered with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation.  
A feeling which wasn’t helped by the klaxon which suddenly began blaring overhead. Had he been caught? Edward didn’t know but seeing as the lift had still yet to reach its destination there wasn’t much he could do about it at present. As it finally juddered to a halt he pulled out his pistol, fully expecting to find himself surrounded by half a dozen guards as soon as he stepped out of its confides. However, he was greeted by another empty corridor.

  
He could tell instantly that he was in the right place. The bright white walls and heavy metal doors which were currently being illuminated by a bright red warning light were obviously, even from just a glance, much newer and stronger than the outdated and primitive state of the conditions upstairs. Where the Asylums funds were spent was now evident.

  
As footsteps echoed around him, Ed crouched down before peering cautiously around the corner to see who else was running around down here. He felt his mouth fall open in horror. Whatever Hugo Strange had been doing down here stretch way beyond simply bringing people back to life. Frankenstein’s monster would fit in well here, Edward thought as he watched the group of experiments make their way in the opposite direction and his fearfulness doubled when he saw that their leader was none other than Fish Mooney.  
Ed thought he heard her shout out something about a bus as she and her motley crew moved out of his line of sight but although he was curious to find out what they were doing he decided against following them. It was safe to assume that an escape plan was in operation and he needed to tell Oswald as soon as possible.  
This was way worse than they had expected. If Fish forged an alliance with these creatures then she could very well stand a chance of taking over Gotham and goodness knows what would happen to Penguin if she did.

  
Managing to make it back to the lift a split second before the security systems rendered it immobile, Ed pulled out his phone and feverishly dialed Oswald’s number. “Ed, what’s going on?” Oswald asked urgently, shouting slightly to make himself heard over the signal disturbance on Edward’s side of the line “Are you alright? Ever since Jim supposedly returned from his visit to Arkham I’ve been terrified that Strange might have done something to you.”

  
Deciding not to ask about this whole Jim business, whatever it was, Edward wasted no time in telling his husband everything. “I managed to find a hidden elevator which takes you down to the lower levels” he explained hurriedly “and we were right in thinking that Galavan was the least of our problems. Fish is alive too.” Oswald let out an angry noise, somewhere between a growl and a hiss, at this unpleasant news. The last thing he wanted was for to try and steal his city from him.

  
“But that’s not all. There all sorts of other ‘things’ down there. It seems that Professor Strange’s habit of playing god didn’t stop merely at waking the dead. He’s made all sorts human-animal hybrids, monsters, zombies. It’s horrible and what’s worse is that Fish seems to be planning on helping them escape. She said something about a bus. If you want to catch her then you had better get over here fast. The security systems are all on lock down but I wouldn’t put it past her to find a way around it. I’m getting out of this place as soon as I can before I get caught.”

  
The elevator finally reached the upper floor and Edward barged his way out and watched as the door slid shut behind him. “I’m already on my way there” Penguin told him “It seems that we weren’t the only ones to suspect Strange. Apparently Jim Gordon, Bruce Wayne and some guy called Lucius Fox sneaked into Arkham but instead of Jim returning to the GCPD Strange sent back some clone to throw us off the scent. Luckily Barbara Kean was there to slap him around the face. The police are on their way to Arkham as we speak to come and look for them. Have you seen any sign of them? They might have discovered som information that could be useful to us.” “No, I haven’t” Ed began but stopped dead when he caught sight of the scene of devastation which lay before him in the recreation room.

  
Hugo Strange was lying unconscious on the floor whilst Jim Gordon smacked him repeatedly round the face, watched on by Bruce Wayne, a girl from the streets that Edward vaguely recognised but couldn’t put a name to (Selina perhaps?) and a man who he could only assume was Lucius Fox. A short distance away a man with some form of ice blaster was battling it out with a girl wielding a flame thrower. “Actually, I just found them” he informed Oswald “I’ll call you back.” He made his way closer to the group just as Jim dealt a particularly heavy blow to Strange who jolted back into consciousness.

  
“Oh, Gordon. I surmise my plan must have gone awry.”

  
“You could say. I’m going to stand you up now and you’re going to give us a tour of your secret lab.”

  
“No!”

  
“You don’t have a choice. It’s this way, right?” said Jim as he yanked the man roughly to his feet. “Jim, we can’t go down there” Strange cried desperately “I’ve set a bomb, the lab is going to blow up. We have to get out of here! In ten minutes everything within a quarter-mile radius will be turned to dust.” A bomb?! Edward’s blood felt as though it had been frozen by Mr Freeze’s ice blaster. Oswald was on his way here to look for Fish, he could get caught in the blast!

“That’s madness” Jim muttered in disbelief. Hugo Strange, however, ignored him. “If you want to live” he snapped “Which I do, frankly, we had better leave.” “We detected radioactive material down there. You got it out first, right?” asked Lucius Fox, looking horrified. “There wasn’t enough time. They forced my hand but I calculated the chances of a radioactive cloud as being fairly low” Strange insisted. “If you are wrong then thousands of people could die” Lucius pointed out. How he managed to keep his voice so calm and level was a mystery.

  
“Yes, yes, yes. But paying that price will be better. Releasing what’s down there…”

  
“How do we shut it down?”

  
“The security walls are up, the lab is sealed.”

  
“There has to be some way down there.”

  
Before Strange could continue his pitiful resistance, Ed interrupted, drawing attention to himself for the first time. “I know a way down there” he exclaimed excitedly. “Nygma? What are you doing here?” Jim asked in surprise and Ed fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Looking for answers, same as you. Not that we have time for this conversation” he replied curtly over his shoulder as he set off, Jim and Lucius following close behind whilst the children made a dash for safety. Hugo Strange was left alone in the recreation room, sobbing.

  
With the security systems on lock down it took more than a simple lock pick to gain access to the elevator but luckily Edward was well practiced in the art of hotwiring, a useful skill in Gotham, and soon the secret door slid open to admit them.

  
“You stay here” Jim barked, pushing Ed out of the way as he and his accomplice got ready to make the descent to the basement. Ed glared at him. “Do either of you actually know how to defuse a bomb?” he retorted impatiently, sticking his hand out to stop the lift door from closing. They didn’t have time for this. “No” Jim replied defiantly “Mr Fox?” Lucius shook his head and shrugged. Ed let out a frustrated sigh as he squeezed himself into the elevator with them for what would be a very awkward trip down to the lab.

  
The lay out of the lower levels felt reminiscent of a labyrinth as they ran through the characterless passageways in a desperate search for the hidden explosives. Luckily subtlety wasn’t one of Hugo Strange’s strong points. In the middle of a large, rustic, cylinder shaped room they found a large round bomb with a glowing red display on it which was counting down the seconds until their doom. They didn’t have long.

  
Wasting no time, Edward got a set of miniature wire cutters out of his satchel before getting Lucius to help him gently prise off the bombs front display where it hung limply off a tangled expanse of wires. It soon became clear that despite its crude looking exterior the inner working of the bombe were surprisingly complex and Ed bit his lip nervously. They weren’t enough to stump him, not even close. No, time was their enemy here.

  
“Can’t you go any faster!” Jim shouted as Edward carefully snipped another couple of wires “We’re running out of time.” “Don’t you think I already know that?” Ed countered angrily as his thoughts kept wandering fearfully back to the potential fate of the one he held most dear “This a sophisticated system, detective. Now I suggest you make your peace with the fact that we won’t be getting out of here. I might be able to minimize the blast radius if we are lucky but we can’t hope for more than that.” Jim opened his mouth to argue but Lucius intervened.

  
“Forgive me if I am missing the obvious but could there be a way to short circuit the whole system without having to cut every single live wire? Given how little time we have left and our inevitable outcome then surely it is worth a shot?”

  
“There is almost always a way to short circuit a system like this, especially given the location of the bomb. You’d want a last minute override in case of emergencies. The question is, what to try?” Ed replied as he rooted around in the mass of cables and computer chips. “How about we just pull the timer off?” Jim suggested, earning himself disparaging looks from his two companions.

  
“Water” a voice croaked suddenly. Looking around in bewilderment the three men noticed, for the first time, one of Professor Strange’s orderlies lying on the floor. “Need water” Ethel Peabody repeated hoarsely.

  
“Do you think…?”

  
“Yes” Ed cried as he continued to feverishly cut wires, a faint glimmer of hope burning inside him “I think it might.” “I’ll be right back” said Lucius before rushing off in search of their possible salvation whilst Edward continue to work relentlessly towards disarming the bomb the slow way. Jim was left standing pathetically at his side, doing nothing of any use and contributing only to everyone’s stress levels.

  
Soon Lucius returned and handed Edward a small beaker of water with slightly trembling hands. Ed swallowed, his heart filling with dread as he adjusted his grip on the cup Lucius had give him, willing himself to do what had to be done. They had only seconds left. God, he hoped his calculations were correct.

  
Screwing his eyes tight shut and bracing himself for the coming explosion, he tipped the water into the control panel. Sparks and a thin trail of smoke immediately began to issue from within as the front display went blank and they all assumed the worst. However, the seconds stretched on and they were still breathing, still in one piece. Daring to take a peek, Ed peered tentatively inside the bomb casing. The circuits were dead. They had done it.

  
“Nice work, Foxy!” Ed exclaimed ecstatically as he shook his new acquaintance by the hand vigorously. “Not so bad yourself” Lucius said with a warm relieved smile. Jim let out a heavy sigh. There was a pause.

  
“You know, probably one of the best things about being associated with the mob is that they actually show you some appreciation and gratitude, unlike over people and establishments I’ve worked with. With them you can save the life of a GCPD officer and not get so much as a word of thanks” Ed drawled pointedly and Lucius couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter. Jim rolled his eyes and groaned but ultimately accepted defeat. “Thanks, Nygma” he growled reluctantly. Ed beamed. “No problem, detective” he replied happily.

  
*************************************************

  
“Fire!”

  
Oswald watched as the missile zoomed through the air, hitting the wheel of the bus expertly and causing it to be flipped over onto its side by its own momentum and finally come screeching to a halt a few feet away. Oswald grinned with satisfaction. Although Edward had managed, just about, with Galavan, he was glad that he had Butch on hand this time around. Moving targets were much harder to hit and he couldn't afford to let Fish escape.

  
Confident that his quarry wouldn’t be going anywhere, Oswald marched over to the overturned bus and rapped on the metal side of the vehicle with his cane. “It’s over, Fish” he called gloatingly as he tried and failed to see signs of life from behind the blacked out windows.

  
“On the contrary, my little Oswald. I’ve only just begun.”

  
Penguin whipped around in alarm to find Fish fixing him with a cold stare, having somehow managed to sneak up behind him. Oswald lunged forwards but failed to land a blow as Fish reached out to softly caress his cheek with her hand. “Time to sleep” she muttered. Oswald frowned in confusion. What did she mean by that?

  
That was when he felt it. Like an electric shock worming its way under his skin and running through his veins like water. He didn’t know what it was but it was making it impossible for him to keep his eyes open. He tried to fight against it but the mysterious force was insistent in its work, claiming his body for sleep. He blacked out.


	3. Isn't Fishing supposed to be relaxing?

“Why didn’t she kill me when she had the chance? What is she planning?”

  
“Oswald, take a breath.”

  
“Like that will help” Oswald muttered dismissively as he paced up and down, shirt sleeves rolled up, waistcoat undone and an open bottle of wine grasped firmly in one hand. “Pausing for a moment will help you focus. Trust me” Ed insisted, not looking up from his book.

  
Oswald had been in much the same state as he was now since he’d woken up after the Indian Hill escape and his parents were getting concerned. Ed, meanwhile, was simply waiting for the emotional haze to clear which would let Oswald come to his inevitably perfect solution to the problem. It had been a couple of weeks now, however, and Ed was getting impatient. The constant pacing was starting to irk him and the sooner his husband calmed down the better. Still, he could understand Penguin’s unease. Fish was a tricky customer, always had been.

  
“She must be up to something” Oswald persisted, resuming his musings as he continued to tread the floorboards “I refuse believe that she just left town. Not when she has that strange power of hers and an army of freaks. She’s planning something, I tell you. She’s going to try and take over Gotham. Well I’ll show her. I’ll have her killed and her body dragged through the streets.”

  
Ed sighed as he lay his book to one side, having finally had enough. Fish wasn’t the sort of woman to take being murdered by a rival lying down. She would most definitely be out for revenge and would no doubt also have plans for conquest when it came to Penguin’s empire. These angry ramblings were not helping, however.

  
Edward’s hand darted out suddenly, grasping Oswald’s wrist and pulling the startled bird towards him. Penguin let out an indignant yelp of protest but it did no good. He gave a half hearted struggle before sinking reluctantly into Ed’s comforting arms. “I just need to know what she is doing” he mumbled despondently. “Do you?” Ed asked with all seriousness. Oswald frowned at this and his confusion obviously showed as Edward wasted no time in elaborating.

  
“When Alexander encountered the Gordian knot, a knot so complex that no one had ever been able to untie it, he just removed his sword and cut it in two. Details can be distracting, sometimes a simple solution is best. So, no matter what she is planning, just remember that penguins eat fish.”

  
There was a moment’s silence as this statement sank in, Oswald letting the feeling of Ed softly stroking his hair as he lay across his husband’s lap calm him down and in doing so finding that he was able to start seeing things clearly once more. He sighed. Ed was, as usual, right. “I would be lost without you” Oswald whispered gratefully, shifting his position slightly so that he could stare into Edward’s eyes. “You’d do just fine” Ed replied with a smile. Then, with some difficulty, he extracted his legs from underneath his partner, moving from his sitting position so that they were now lying next to each other on the extremely cramped sofa before capturing Oswald’s lips in a slow and gentle kiss.

  
Their solitary bliss was soon rudely interrupted, however, by the sound of Ed’s ringtone. Oswald groaned in disappointment as Ed ended the embrace so as to better reach his phone from deep inside his trouser pocket. “Lee or Kristen?” Oswald asked somewhat tetchily. Apart from himself the only people to ever contact Edward were his former colleges at the GCPD which left just two candidates when it came to the identity of their accidental third wheel. “Kristen” Ed replied “and you’re going to like it. Apparently Jim Gordon ran in to another one of the Indian Hill freaks tonight and there is going to be a press conference at the station.” Penguin grinned. Now that was something worth being interrupted for.

  
****************************************************************

  
Cameras flashed and clicked, blinding everyone in the immediate vicinity, as members of the press clamoured to be heard.

  
“Captain Barnes! Captain Barnes! Valerie Vale, Gotham Gazette. Is it true that a majority of Professor Strange’s monsters are still at large?”

  
Nathaniel Barnes gritted his teeth. He hated talking to reporters at the best of times and with a subject as sensitive as the Indian Hill escapees he all but dreaded the inevitable media circus that occurred whenever one was apprehended. Valerie Vale, however, was the worst of the bunch and often more trouble than she was worth to her employers. She was definitely not the sort of reporter you wanted to be cornered by during a press conference.

  
“We can assure you that everything is being done to ensure that all of those who escaped from Indian Hill are apprehended as quickly as possible. The GCPD has been working tirelessly to get these people off the streets and we won’t stop each and every one of them is in custody” Barnes bellowed over the noise, on purposefully avoiding the question entirely.

  
In truth they had no idea how many so-called freaks were still at large as whatever records Professor Strange had once kept had been destroyed. It was a difficult position to be in and a mission that couldn’t be accomplished without a few mistakes along the way. The public didn’t see it that way, however, and the press liked nothing better than to feed the fire of discontent.

  
“I for one take issue with the term freaks” Aubrey James interrupted and Barnes resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands “These escapees are themselves victims of Hugo Strange. They need our help and once we get these poor souls off the streets that is exactly what they shall receive.” He spoke like a man with authority, as though he still held his former position in the mayor’s office. As it was he had been rendered all but powerless after his abduction at the hands of Galavan and his words were met with nothing but ridicule.

  
“Mr James, before they were taken to Indian Hill these ‘poor souls’ were criminally insane inmates at Arkham Asylum. Were they not? Why is Hugo Strange the only one who has been arrested? And what about the rumours that Indian Hill was a Wayne Enterprise facility? Surely we have more important things to worry about than pitying these escaped lunatics?” said Valerie forcefully, determined not to let Aubrey James brush yet more secrets under the carpet for the sake of his already depleted reputation. There was a great deal of murmuring from those assembled and it was clear that Miss Vale understood the current public feeling a lot better than the former mayor. “The situation is firmly in hand. Next question, please!” Aubrey James replied, swallowing nervously.

  
“And that is why this city is always in an ongoing state of catastrophe.”

  
The crowd parted as the person who had challenged Aubrey stepped forwards. “My name is Oswald Nygma-Cobblepot” Oswald began confidently, thrusting himself still further into the limelight as he made his way towards the centre of the room. “We know who you are, Penguin” Barnes barked “What do you want?” Oswald threw the captain of the GCPD an indignant look. He could see why Ed disliked him, the man was too big for his boots.

  
“I want the same thing that the people of Gotham want” he continued without so much as faltering “To be able to sleep sound at night knowing that those freaks from Indian Hill have been dealt with. The GCPD’s pathetic attempts at maintaining control would be laughable if people’s safety wasn’t at risk. As it is the citizens of this city still have much to fear and who have they got to turn to? The GCPD have barely begun apprehend the escapees and many, including the most dangerous one of them all, are still at large. Hardly the competent and trustworthy image they try to paint for the press.”

  
“What do you mean, Cobblepot?” Barnes demanded furiously, taking the bait. He was a very proud man after all and did not like seeing his efforts scorned so publically. The gaggle of reporters gathered closer, cameras at the ready as they practically shoved their microphones up Penguin’s nose to ensure that they didn’t miss a word. Oswald smirked, relishing the power he had over his audience before finally dropping the bombshell.

  
“Fish Mooney is alive. She is alive and she is plotting to destroy the city.”

  
“Fish Mooney? Didn’t you used to work for her?” Barnes pointed out much to Oswald’s annoyance. However, he managed to retain his composure despite his anger. “I did what I had to do to survive” Penguin replied, addressing his words to the throng of people pressed against him, staring expectantly as they awaited his side of the argument.

  
“I, like many of whose who live in this city, have been forced by a corrupt and unfair system to do things that I would never normally consider just so that I could live to see another day. A system that was put in place by men like these, men who don’t care who gets left to die in the gutter as long as they get to return to their own comfy homes at the end of the day. It is we, the people of Gotham, who are the victims here, not those Indian Hill monsters and believe me when I say that when Fish Mooney marches on the city with her army of freaks, the GCPD and men like Aubrey James will do nothing to protect us. They have proven themselves unworthy of the confidence we have hitherto placed in them, proven themselves incapable of saving the lives of those they have sworn to protect. Something must be done.”

  
“If I had known it would result in so much drama I might have reconsidered sending that text.”

  
Edward, who had been lurking inconspicuously in a corner whilst he watched with growing adoration as his husband worked the crowd, turned to find Miss Kringle looking at him with raised eyebrows. He grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, I didn’t know Oswald was going to cause such a scene” he lied smoothly “You’d think that seeing as we’re married now that he’d tell me everything but I’m as in the dark as everyone else half the time.”

  
Miss Kringle gave him one last sceptical look before deciding to drop the subject. She wasn’t sure that she believed him but she preferred not to get too involved in Ed’s private life. Due to the demise of Officer Daugherty and Ed’s subsequent actions, their friendship was slightly shaky to say the least. Kristen doubted it would get any better if she delved too deep into Penguin’s activities and motives. She suspected neither he nor Edward would be very grateful and she expected that she wouldn’t be altogether happy with what she might find. Better to keep things friendly but slightly distant.

  
“Any info on the person they apprehended?” Ed asked casually after a pause. Kristen shook her head. “Not yet. Lee is doing tests down in the lab as we speak” she informed him. Ed’s eyes lit up with excitement. As happy as he was with his new life he couldn’t help but miss working in the lab. It was like having unprecedented access to all of Gotham’s dark fascinating secrets. “Before you ask, no. I don’t know if she’s found anything and I don’t think you’ll be able to go and ask her. Not right now anyway. I don’t expect Barnes would take too kindly to you snooping around. Besides, I don’t expect Lee will have discovered much. There wasn’t much of a body for her to work with. The poor man was hit by a truck, there were only a few small pieces left” Miss Kringle added.

  
The former GCPD forensic scientist sighed in commiseration. Ever since the discovery of Indian Hill he had been enthralled by all the possibilities of what might have done to the test subjects, from a scientific standpoint of course, and wanted to know more. As of yet, however, no one, from the police force to the depth of the criminal classes, had been able to uncover anything about the inner workings of that place or the state of its former inmates. They were all equally clueless and hungry for answers.

  
“That’s disappointing” Ed replied and Kristen nodded in agreement. Before anything else could be said on the subject, however, Oswald pushed his way through the crowd to join them. “That knucklehead is so infuriating” Penguin grumbled, glaring over his shoulder pointedly so that neither Ed nor Kristen were any doubt as to who he was talking about. “I know” Ed replied sympathetically.

  
He offered Oswald his arm. After all, there was nothing really left for them to do other than leave, they had accomplished all they had set out to do tonight. “See you later, Kristen. Tell Lee that I’ll call her later” Ed said for a smile as he and Penguin turned to leave. “Alright” Kristen agreed but she couldn’t see what good it would do.

  
As much as Lee would probably like to brainstorm with Ed about the Indian Hill dilemma, sharing too much information with someone so close to Gotham’s most notorious criminal wasn’t something she could afford to do if she wanted to keep her job. Both women were already under suspicion for their association with Nygma as it was.

  
“Miss Kringle” Oswald said in formal gesture of both recognition and farewell. She nodded back at him in acknowledgement then watched as the underworld kingpin left on his husbands arm.

  
“Well, that all went rather nicely considering” said Ed as he and Oswald got into the car a moment later “You certainly gave Aubrey and Barnes something to worry about and conversation topic for the cities gossips to exhaust over the next few days.” He grinned at his partner adoringly. “And hopefully something for the public to remember when the time comes” Oswald muttered thoughtfully, causing Edward to raise an eyebrow questioningly.

  
“What do you mean?”

  
Oswald bit his lip and sighed. “I wasn’t going to say anything until I had made my final decision on it but I guess I might as well take you into my confidence. After all, I’ll need your help if I’m ever going to pull it off” he said. There was as slight pause and then he continued. “I’m thinking of running for mayor” he confessed finally.

  
Ed stared at him in amazement. He hadn’t been expecting that but the more he thought about it the better the idea sounded. It certainly explained Penguin’s obsession with P.R of late. If Oswald were mayor then not only would he have control over the cities of criminals but he’d have the rest of Gotham under his thumb too, even the GCPD would have to answer to him. Surprised that he hadn’t thought of it himself, Edward was already thinking of all the possibilities that lay before them with growing excitement.

  
“That’s a brilliant idea!” he exclaimed “Just think of the hold you’ll have over the city after you’re elected.” Oswald smiled. He appreciated Edward’s certainty of his victory, no matter how misplaced he felt that faith was. “It’ll be nice to finally be able to give my parents a son they can be proud of” Oswald added in barely more than a whisper. He had been talking to himself really but Edward had heard none the less and was horrified at what the love of his life had just uttered.

  
Oswald swallowed a surprised gasp as he felt himself being suddenly pinned against the car door in a fierce embrace, Ed’s lips moving forcefully against his in a rough kiss. “You have already given them that” Edward insisted vehemently, fixing Oswald with a piercing stare, their noses practically touching “Don’t ever think otherwise. The whole of Gotham and everyone in it is worth nothing compared to you.” There was silence, broken only by their own heavy breathing as these words sank in. Oswald’s hand moved slowly up Edward’s face, stroking gently, before coming to rest in his hair. “I love you” Oswald murmured tenderly before pulling his husband down for another brief kiss.

  
******************************************************************

  
Canvasing the public wasn’t an easy task, the citizens of Gotham were hardly known for their embracing natures and the fact that they were both well known for their criminal backgrounds made things all the more complicated, but Ed and Oswald were a force to be reckoned with. Their natural attributes for the likes of manipulation and public speaking meant that soon almost the city's whole population were in the palms of their hands.

  
Penguin even managed to use his fame as a successful felon to his advantage. After all, who better to help put an ending to the antics of Fish Mooney than someone who had bested her before? Also, as Oswald constantly told the press, how could men like Barnes and Aubrey hope to eradicate crime if they didn’t understand it or the circumstances that drove the people behind it towards committing it in the first place? This unorthodox yet surprisingly effective strategy teamed with the sense of power which Penguin innately seemed to radiate resulted in widespread popularity that set the GCPD on edge for they weren’t half as stupid as they made themselves out to be. It was an unexpected shift in general opinion to say the least but it certainly did well at summing up the unpredictability of life in this crazy city.

  
They did not, however, have to wait until election day for their influence over the voters to come in handy. The two of them were watching tv at Van Dahl manor with Gertrud and Elijah when there was an emergency news broadcast. Such interruptions in programing were not uncommon, someone somewhere was guaranteed to be pulling a bank heist or something similar at any given moment that required attention, but this particular news report just happened to be the one that Edward and Oswald had been waiting for.  
Fish Mooney was held up in a supposedly abandoned mansion on the outskirts of the city and was holding both Hugo Strange and Harvey Bullock hostage with the help of some of the Indian Hill escapees. Hugo Strange and Fish, it was too good an opportunity to miss.

  
Making their excuses to Oswald’s parents they quickly set off for the scene of the trouble, calling Butch and Zsasz on the way for back up. “But how are we going to get in there? The cops will have the place surrounded” Butch pointed out. Ed and Oswald looked at each other and it was clear that they were both thinking the same thing. A stop off in the centre of town would be necessary before they went to capture their nemesis.

  
Barnes despaired. The press were crowding the building which made it difficult for the task force to manoeuvre. Fish had threatened to shoot Bullock in the head if anyone approached the house and Jim, a reckless daredevil like always, seemed just about ready to charge through the front doors alone in an attempt to save his partner any minute now. It was not a position that the captain of the GCPD enjoyed being in and little did he know that it was about to get even worse.  
“What the hell is this?”

  
Both Barnes and the press turned to watch as crowd appeared from over the horizon, lead by none other than Penguin. The angry mob, complete with pitchforks and torches, pushed past the reporters and strained to get past the barrier of police officers that stood between them and the mansion. They were doubt intending to go on a man hunt, one which would most likely have disastrous consequences. Barnes looked at Oswald, who grinned at him wickedly, and he knew then and there that he had already lost. However, he was not prepared to go down without a fight.

  
“Cobblepot, what the hell are you doing here?” Barnes bellowed . “What you have proven to be incapable of doing time and time again” Oswald spat. “This is a GCPD operation. I am ordering you and this mob to disperse immediately” Barnes commanded. “Fat chance” Penguin retorted “I will not let those monsters escape again. Fish Mooney dies tonight!” There was a resounding cheer from Penguin’s ‘army’ at these words. “Damn it, Cobblepot” Barnes said in a defeated and almost pleading tone “One of my detectives is inside. This is the last time I’m going to ask. Back up!”

  
“You’ve had your chance, Barnes. Now it’s my turn. Who’s with me?!”

  
The mob clamoured and surged forwards once again as the police tried desperately to keep them at bay and it was during this commotion that, unbeknown to Barnes, Jim Gordon slipped away into the house.

  
The police captain and Penguin continued to argue as excitement built to the point where you could practically taste the blood lust in the air. It was clear that the GCPD were holding onto control by a thread and that the balance could be tipped against their favour at any second. It was this moment that Oswald and company were waiting for. “Is it time yet?” Zsasz whined. His resemblance to a child waiting impatiently to open their Christmas presents was uncanny. There was a pause as Ed watched attentively as the situation continued to escalate. “Yes” he replied before stepping away from the crowd and pulling out his phone.

  
“Hello?”

  
Judging by the tense tone of Jim’s voice he was currently having a gun pointed to his head which, of course, was exactly the position that Ed had expected him to be in. In fact, he had been counting on it. “I trust that you have been reunited with detective Bullock and are now Fish Mooney’s third hostage. I am also going to assume that you are in need of escape from said situation and are therefore open to negotiations” Ed asked casually. “Nygma?” Gordon asked and Edward rolled his eyes. Why was it always necessary for the detective to state the bleeding obvious? “Yes, now listen” he snapped impatiently “I can offer you leverage to use against Fish Mooney which may guarantee you survival. All you have to do is follow my instructions.” “Barnes…” Jim began but he was cut off.

  
“Barnes isn’t open to negotiations and he won’t back down just because of a couple of hostages. You know that as well as I do. As soon as Fish realises this she will deem both you and your partner expendable. I wouldn’t be surprised if she has come to that conclusion already. Either way, you’ll both be dead before the night is up. I can arrange for all the police to be drawn to the front of the house. This will cause a distraction and offer you and detective Bullock a chance to escape. All you have to do is let Fish walk away. Don’t arrest her, tail her or hinder her movements in any way. Deal?”

  
Jim Gordon considered this offer carefully. In truth, he didn’t like the sound of it one bit but he didn’t have an awful lot of options left. Fish had made it clear that she was done arguing with Barnes and that she no longer needed her hostages. If he hadn’t received this phone call when he had Jim didn’t doubt that he and Bullock would be already dead. It seemed that he had no choice in the matter.

  
“Deal” Jim growled reluctantly before ending the call. Grinning with satisfaction, Ed began to fight his way through the throng of aggravated people until he was at Oswald’s side. However, it took a moment for his husband to notice him for Oswald was still in a heated discussion with Nathaniel Barnes.

  
“Cobblepot, get this crowd to disperse or I will make them disperse. And there will be bloodshed” Barnes warned. “Promise?!” Oswald cried, a manic glint in his eye as his smile broadened. He looked like a madman in Barnes’ opinion and he watched as said madman destroyed his authority and control over the situation in one clean sweep a moment later. “Now” Edward hissed simply into Oswald’s ear and Penguin failed to disappoint.

  
“People of Gotham, the time for action is now. Kill the monsters! Kill them now!”

  
As predicted the few officers who had been patrolling the perimeter rushed to the front of the house in a vain attempt to stop the surge of furious citizens who were on the hunt for freaks to purge. Whilst this massive disturbance was taking place, Edward, Oswald, Butch and Zsasz sneaked off in search of Fish.

  
However, they were destined to come up empty handed. Feeling rather jumpy, the shouts, shots and screams from the house echoing in his ears, Edward searched the dark of the surrounding woods for a sign of any of Hugo Strange’s former tenants but he found nothing. When he eventually accepted defeat and went to join the others it was clear that they had had experienced similar misfortune.

  
Oswald’s look of triumph as he was bounced on top of the people's shoulders in celebration was hollow, fury shining out from his eyes as he surveyed the scene of devastation below him. The mob were happy enough, shrieking with delight as they chucked the bodies of the of the people they had captured onto the bonfire. Ed sighed. Despite the wonders that it would likely do for Penguins reputation, tonight could hardly be counted as a success.


	4. Gotham city hall: Starring Edward Nygma as the live-in P.A

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO, I'M BACK!!!! Sorry about the long time between updates. I actually typed this chapter up last month but due to technical problems it got deleted before I could post it. *Sobs.* I meant to start work on it as soon as I got back from hospital but I was having enough trouble recovering physically, emotionally and mentally (still am actually but getting better as this update shows.) When the next update will be I am not sure as I have a lot of stuff going on but this fic WILL DEFINITELY CONTINUE! :)
> 
> I plan to write a Christmas oneshot (not connected to this series in anyway) but in the quite likely event that I don't manage to finish it I'd like to wish you all happy Christmas or whatever it is that you celebrate and if you don't celebrate anything then I just hope that you have a really great December! :)
> 
> Also, HUGE happy birthday to my friend @dracofelin without whom this series wouldn't be possible. Thank you for helping, supporting and encouraging me, not just with my writing but in general as well. You are a really nice person and I hope you have a fantastic birthday!!! :) <3

 

"Are you joking, boss?"

  
Oswald glared at Butch, looking offended. "No, I'm completely serious" he replied tetchily.

  
"It's just that, I mean, I know that we've faced all that Gotham can throw at us together and all but Politicians? They scare me" Butch added hastily.

  
As Ed looked over the large posters and vast expanse of campaign leaflets that filled the dining room with an ill disguised grimace he couldn't help but admit that Butch had a point. It was all necessary, of course. To get anywhere in American politics one had to practically paint themselves red, white and blue and put on a public façade so thick that they almost forgot who they really were. It was a grim spectacle to watch but a game that they would have to play if Oswald was to win the election. Still, Edward couldn't help but wish that the voters could come to know, love and respect the Oswald that he knew, violent tendencies and all, but despite the unorthodoxly honest campaign strategy they had chosen some lies were still needed. As was this gaudy show.

  
"It's great, boss" Butch said at length without conviction, quailing under Penguin's hard and expectant stare. Oswald was, understandably, dissatisfied with this response and rolled his eyes in frustration before going in search of a more appreciative audience.

  
"My goodness" Gertrud cried in astonishment as Elijah escorted her into the room. The two of them stared around the room in awe as it all sank in. "So, what do you think?" Oswald asked and the smile on his face wasn't enough to distract from the nervous tone in his voice or the way he was clasping and unclasping his hands repeatedly in front of himself. He gazed at his parents reproachfully, seeking approval, and Edward felt his heart melt at the sight.

  
Luckily Oswald's parents loved their son unconditionally so the answer Penguin received was as supportive as he could possibly have wished for. "My boy, this is marvellous" Elijah gushed, beaming "I am sure you will do splendidly and you can count on my vote. If there is anything extra that I can do to help then all you have to do is name it."  
Oswald nodded gratefully to his father as his mother practically smothered him as she pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm so proud" she cried happily, pressing kisses to his cheek "My son is going to be mayor." "Now, now mother, I haven't been elected yet. Remember?" he reminded her but he blushed at the praise all the same.

  
It was at that moment that one of the assistants who was manning the telephones called over to them. "Mr Cobblepot" she shouted, covering the receiver with her hand so as not to deafen the person on the other end of the line "It's Aubrey James. He wants to meet with you. Alone." Oswald raised an amused eyebrow before he turned to Ed. "What do you think?" he asked, curious to see whether his husband viewed the situation the same way he did. Edward grinned back, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I don't see why not" he replied casually, choosing his words carefully and baring in mind their present company "Not so long as we have the upper hand." Oswald nodded in agreement then went to confirm the appointment with his receptionist. Time to get to work, Ed thought gleefully.

  
**********************************************************************************************************  
Aubrey James, for all his bravado, arranged his meeting with his political opponent in a very public place, a small but very popular restaurant to be exact. His fear at meeting with a known criminal was painfully evident. Something that Penguin didn't fail to comment on when he took his seat at the table.

  
“A public place. Smart" he sneered, grinning at Aubrey smugly. "Knowing your flare for the dramatic I felt it necessary" James replied with feigned nonchalance. Oswald chuckled.  
"How flattering but why exert myself needlessly?" he said "The public sees me as a man of action, of change. You are yesterday's sad joke." Before he could finish bragging, however, Aubrey James interrupted him.

  
"You're an unstable lunatic, Penguin, and people are going to see right through you. I've got the judges, the unions, the GCPD and a whole team of legal experts behind me. What have you got?"

  
"I have me."

  
It was Aubrey's turn to laugh. "You're psychotic!" he announced with genuine disbelief. How this messed up mob boss could possibly think that he stood a chance against him was a mystery. His smile vanished a second later as Penguin leapt to his feet with rage, smacking his hands down on the table with force as he did so. Luckily Aubrey James had prepare for this eventuality.

  
There was a sudden rush of movement as men burst from side doors which lead to cupboards and bathrooms. Their guns were trained on Penguin and they were more than happy to pull the trigger. “Not this time, Penguin” Aubrey James shouted “My head will not be put in a box again.”

  
To the considerable surprise of both Aubrey and his men, however, Oswald merely burst out laughing at the intrusion. “Oh you” he taunted “So smart. Always one step ahead.” He paused dramatically for a moment before adding “Never three.”

  
The former mayor gasped as Oswald snapped his fingers, causing the restaurant patrons around them to rise speedily from their seats, producing weapons as if from nowhere and pointing them at Aubrey’s befuddled looking bodyguards.

  
Aubrey James was about to exclaim with outrage but found that his voice deserted him as the cold barrel of a gun was pressed against his temple. Swallowing fearfully he looked out of the corner of his eye in attempt to find out the identity of the person who had him at their mercy and found himself faced with the grinning face of Edward Nygma.

  
“I don’t believe you have met my husband, Ed” Oswald said casually and it clear that he was enjoying this immensely “You see, when you asked what I had and I answered myself I may have omitted something there. I have Ed and I can assure you that together we are more than capable of toppling your corrupt regime and all those who are party to it.”

  
There was a pause whilst Penguin’s political opponent stared up at him in terror, sweat visible on his forehead as he tried to discreetly edge away from Edward’s gun with little success. Oswald noticed this and smiled smugly before continuing.

  
“Relax. If I wanted you dead then Ed would have already pulled the trigger. What would an election be if I was the only candidate? Besides, the votes of the public will be more than enough to assure my victory so why result to violence? No need to thank me.”

  
Winking playfully Penguin turned on his heel and marched towards the door without another word. Ed watched his husband leave with an admiring gaze before getting to his feet to follow suit, fishing around in his pocket as he did so. Finally he pulled out a ‘Vote for Cobblepot’ and pinned it to the flustered Aubrey’s chest. “I trust we can count on your vote” Ed said with a sly smile before going to join his husband, savouring the subtle surge of adrenalin that that power play had awakened within him. He beamed at Oswald as they joined hands and set off on their way. It was these moments together that they lived for.

  
**************************************************************************

  
Cameras flashed, their clicking the only sound that disrupted the quiet hush that filled the room as Oswald Nygma-Cobblepot took to the podium.

  
“My parents have always been there for me” Oswald began and Gertrud grasped Elijah’s hand tightly as he said this “Even through my darkest times when my actions could only be something to be ashamed of they were always there to support me and as a result inspire me to become a better person. The person I am today. If it wasn’t for them and my beloved husband I wouldn’t be stood in front of you today.” He paused for a moment before continuing.

  
“But who is there to support Gotham during its hour of need? To help lift its citizens out of the poverty stricken mess that has driven so many unfortunate people to desperate and sometimes criminal acts? The answer, at, present, is no one.

  
Those currently in a position of power in this city don’t care about those they serve, about the challenges those people face or the dangers that keep them awake at night. All they care about is lining their pockets and maintaining their oh so precious public image. At the end of the day, is there anyone we can trust?

  
Barnes and the GCPD have done little to keep the city's streets safe. The base incompetence shown by the people in who we entrust our lives is shocking. Now, they would have you believe that they have everything under control but don’t be fooled.

  
Where is Fish Mooney, huh? Just weeks ago she escaped after holding two GCPD officers hostage. Men who’s lives, had the police force handled the situation correctly, should never have been at risk.

  
These idiots can’t even understand the root causes of crime in this city, the impossible odds people face and the lengths they have to go to stay alive long enough to see another day. How can they bring an end to what they can’t even comprehend?

  
Is Aubrey James the man who can lead them, along with the rest of Gotham, into a bright new future? I think not. After all, where was he when this Indian Hill crisis started? ‘Recovering’ after grovelling at the feet of Theo Galavan whilst wearing a box on his head! His actions since then have done nothing to help the people of Gotham and a man intent on returning to office should, I think, be doing more than arguing and pandering to the rich and the press.

  
Well I for one will not rest until this city is back on its feet for together we have hope. Together we can make Gotham safe again!”

  
The audience burst into applause and Oswald beamed delightedly as he stepped down from the stand. Gertrude and Elijah smiled proudly as they enveloped him in a tight hug, in spite of his protests, making him blush.

  
However, despite finding his spouse’s speech riveting, Edward’s attention lay elsewhere. He was watching Butch. Ever since Fish had slipped through their fingers a few weeks back Ed had been wondering whether it had all been down to bad luck or had there been more than just the hand of fate at work. Butch had always had a soft spot for the former crime lord, after all. Was there more to this bumbling buffoon than met the eye?

  
If Butch had helped Fish escape then that would make it the second time that Zsasz’s conditioning had failed which meant that Butch was now a dangerous liability. Unfortunately, however, Ed had no evidence to confirm his suspicions or back up his theories so he was forced to be content with watching Butch like a hawk in the hope that the man would eventually lead him to something incriminating and although what he was seeing was in no way connected to their recently resurrected nemesis, it made Ed feel far from at ease.

  
The envelope, most likely containing money, changed hands discreetly and Edward watched disapprovingly as the man, who was a member of the election board, stowed his ‘gift’ carefully into his jacket pocket. Deciding that he needed a closer look, Ed made his way over to the official as soon as Butch was out of sight.

  
“Are you on the election board?” Ed asked the rather startled looking man but he didn’t wait for a reply before continuing “I work for Mr Nygma-Cobblepot, I just wanted to confirm what Butch gave you. May I? Thank you.”

  
The city hall official gasped with outrage as Edward reached, uninvited, into his jacket pocket and pulled out the envelope, leafing through its contents before handing it back to him with an overly wide smile. “Yep, it’s all there” said Ed brightly before walking away, too preoccupied with his own thoughts to bother thinking of a believable explanation.  
Now, Ed didn’t like this new development one bit and he wasted no time in making Oswald aware of his findings but he was disappointed with the reaction he received in return.  
“Of course he is buying off the board members. That is how things are done in Gotham” Oswald told him when he dragged him aside for a quick word. Penguin took in his husband’s shocked and disgusted face and was reminded of just how naive Ed could still sometimes be about business in Gotham. How else had he thought that they would win the election?

  
“And whilst I agree with that ordinarily” Edward assured him hastily “I can’t help but feel that it is actually working against you, not for you. The campaign is going so well. Oswald, I honestly think that you can win this on your own.”

  
Penguin sighed. Although he appreciated the faith that Ed had in him he felt sure that it was misplaced. Not all of Gotham saw him the way his lover did, after all. They couldn’t be expected to vote his way simply because he span them a few pretty words. The campaign was just ‘window dressing’ at the end of the day, a chance to get as much attention from the press and public as possible so that it would seem less suspicious when he inevitably bought his way into power. Popularity had very little to do with it when all was said and done. It was how you played the game, how far you were willing to go to get what you wanted, that ensured victory. Penguin knew that better than anyone. He also knew that playing by the rules in Gotham city got you nowhere and he told Edward so.

  
“But…”

  
“No” Oswald said forcefully, holding up his hand to signal for silence when Ed tried to protest “I’m not going to risk it, Ed. Apart from your hand in marriage and my family’s safety and happiness I have never wanted anything as much as I have wanted this. I’m not going to weaken my position simply to run a clean election.”

  
“It won’t be the same if you buy the vote. It will feel worthless” Edward replied stubbornly. Penguin glared at him, his jaw set and eyebrow slightly raised in disbelief, before turning away to go and rejoin his parents.

  
Edward groaned with frustration as he watched Oswald storm off. That little bird really drove him round the twist sometimes. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Ed debated on what he should do next. The simplest, and safest, solution would be to leave it. Oswald had made up his mind and that usually signalled the end of the matter but for some reason Ed just couldn’t let this go. Knowing full well that if things went wrong he would live to regret it, Edward, instead of going to join his family, went in search of Butch.

  
***********************************************************************

  
Oswald bit his fingernails nervously as he listened attentively to the commentary issuing from the tv. Any moment now the results of the elections would be announced and although he had done everything in his power to ensure victory he couldn’t help but worry about it all the same. Whilst Elijah helped Gertrud, who was forever determined to play the good hostess, to hand around cups of tea to the various members of Penguin’s campaign staff who were in attendance, Ed walked over to Oswald and slipped his hand into his.

  
“Almost time” said Oswald, trying to seem calm “It’s quite exciting, isn’t it?”

  
“Indeed” Ed replied with a smile, his own heart fluttering anxiously. He dreaded to think what would happen if his plan failed. It was at that moment that Butch burst into the room, looking livid.

  
“You! You ruined everything!”

  
There were cries of alarm from all present whilst Oswald and his parents watched on in horror as Butch pinned a grim faced Edward against the wall by the neck. “Stop this” Gertrud pleaded, tears sparkling in her eyes.

  
“What is going on?” Elijah asked as he put an arm around her, looking from Butch to Ed to Oswald in confusion.

  
“I was just wondering the same thing, father” said Penguin pointedly as he glared at his dimwitted henchman furiously, barely managing to contain the fit of rage that threatened to engulf him. Butch, having realised his mistake, quickly relinquished his hold on Edward. No shows of violence or aggression were permitted in front of Oswald’s parents and talk of criminal activities were equally forbidden. Yet even though he knew that his actions would cost him Oswald’s favour, Butch had been unable to control himself.

  
“I’m sorry boss” he replied apologetically before turning to point an accusing finger at Ed “But this little weasel has gone behind both our backs and undone all our hard work for the election!”

  
Oswald’s blood turned to ice. “That can’t be true” he muttered but one look into his spouse’s eyes was enough to tell him that Butch’s tale of betrayal was true. It was the bribes. He should have known that Ed wouldn’t give up so easily. Still, hurt Oswald to know that he had gone behind his back in this way, especially seeing as this was a time when he could do with his firm support.

  
“How could you?”

  
He had meant to sound angry, or sad even, but in truth he just sounded defeated and listless. Oswald knew that Edward had thought he was doing the right thing but it didn’t change the fact that what he had done was commit an act of betrayal. If Ed had been anyone else Oswald would have Butch shoot him where he stood. As it was he was at a lost of what to do next.

  
“After everything we’ve been through, after all we could have achieved and shared together, why now?” Oswald asked desperately, trying to understand why Edward had risked everything that they had worked for. Surely there were things more important than the moral high ground. The stability of their relationship, for example. Oswald could never stop loving Edward and he took marriage seriously, ‘till death do us part’ was non negotiable as far as he was concerned, but it would be hard for him to trust Ed completely after this. Their time running Gotham side by side might be over if they couldn’t rely on each other.

  
Ed swallowed nervously as he looked down at his husband, who’s doubts and insecurities were written plainly across his face. Luckily, however, at that exact moment there was an announcement on the tv which changed everything.

  
“In a seismic shift even by Gotham standards, Oswald Nygma-Cobblepot has won the mayor’s office by a landslide” the newsreader proclaimed, not quite hiding her incredulity at the news. Ed grinned ecstatically. The cheers that erupted around the struggling couple were silenced almost instantly, Penguin gesturing for quiet as he gaped wordlessly at the tv screen for a moment before facing Ed once more, feeling as though he was in a daze.

  
“I still won?” he gasped “They really want me as mayor?”

  
“Of course they do. They love you, just as I knew they would” Ed assured him, grasping his hands as he beamed down at him tenderly.

  
“They love me? But how did you know?”

  
Ed looked down into Oswald’s eyes, which were sparkling with joyful tears which he was too proud to let fall, and sighed. “Because I believe in you, Oswald” he told him quietly “Even when you don’t believe in yourself. I always have done and always will. You of all people should know that.” He cupped Oswald’s face gently in his hands and lent in to seal their lips in a kiss.

  
“But boss, he …!” Butch protested when Oswald, starry eyed and content, finally broke away from the brace but his grievances were brushed aside before he could give them utterance.

  
“You never believed in me” Penguin practically spat “You never thought that I would be able to win this election on my own. I think your days helping me with office matters are over. Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll still have use for you but I’d suggest that you lay whatever dreams of filling the role of Chief of Staff aside.” The words hired muscle were left unsaid but it was abundantly clear to Butch that this was all Oswald had in mind for his future and that did not sit well with him at all.

  
As Oswald was congratulated by his family and employees the disgruntled Butch slipped away. He wasn’t sure how long he had walked the streets, it must have been some time as Van Dahl manor lay some way outside of the edge of the city, but he eventually found himself entering the Iceberg Lounge.

  
Crack!

  
“We are closed! Oh… hey Butch” said Tabitha as she lowered her whip. Butch shot her a shocked and hurt look.

  
“Nice to see you too” he grumbled although his heart wasn’t in it. He’d had a soft spot for her for awhile, a fact which was common knowledge to pretty much everyone in Gotham.

  
“You should have knocked his block off, Tabby. It’s about time we had some decent entertainment at this boring old dump” Barbara teased, adjusting her perch on the edge of one of the bar stools. Butch glared at her but refrained from commenting. Tabitha was too fond of Barbara to make seeking a fight worth his time.

  
“I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you’d be with Penguin celebrating the election results” said Tabitha, sensing the hostility and trying to start a conversation in an attempt to keep the peace. Butch sighed.

  
“Fat chance” he replied grumpily, helping himself to a drink “I gotta be honest, working for Penguin is starting to get me down. You know what I mean?” Barbara’s eyes lit up.  
“Who would have thought have we would have something in common? Do continue.”

  
“Well, after this election, what with having the election board in our pockets, I thought we would have it made. Then Nygma had to go and spoil it by turning it into a clean election. I just can’t see the point anymore. Under Falcone or Fish, heck even under Maroni, I would feel like I was getting somewhere, you know? Now Nygma is involved with everything we do and although I am happy for the two of them I just can’t work like this anymore. Plus Penguin is after Fish and I have to admit that the last thing I want to see is that little pipsqueak ice her for a second time. That is why I helped her escape. To be honest, I just want out of this whole operation.”

  
“Now don’t be so hasty” Barbara said with a sly smile “Being at Penguin’s side can have its benefits. After all, what could be better than taking him down from the inside. You’re not the only one who is fed of being stuck under that little birdies wing. Let’s say we come to an arrangement.”

  
Tabitha raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about this, Babs?” she asked. She was as fed up of working for Penguin as the other two but that didn’t mean she was prepared to rush into action so quickly. The last thing she wanted was to make any rash decisions. Penguin had made it clear on many occasions that to mess with him was a huge mistake, a revolt would need careful planning and perfect timing. Unfortunately rash decisions were one of Barbara’s specialties.

  
“I’m fed up of being forced into the shadows by ungrateful men who think they own me” Barbara snapped “and I think it is about time I did something about it.”

  
“Well then, I guess I’m in” Tabitha replied with a shrug “What about you?” Butch thought for a moment before giving the two conspirators his answer.

  
“I’m in.”


	5. Fox hunting with a twist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!  
> So, as anyone who has checked the story tags since yesterday will know, there have been some developments. This fic now has a 'Major character death' warning as well as trigger warning related tags for suicidal thoughts and a suicide attempt. I am so sorry that I was unable to warn you all before now but it wasn't until yesterday that I finally figured out where this fic is going. We have a couple more chapters to go until this stuff turns up but I wanted you all to be prepared in advance. I promise though that at the end of the story both Oswald and Ed will be alive. I can guarantee you that. What they go through to get to that point remains to be seen. Once again, sorry I was unable to warn you before.
> 
> PS: On an unrelated note, the Hungarian Oswald speaks in this chapter is "Mother! Father! Are you alright?!" However, I used Google translate so I am not how accurate it is. Sorry if I have gotten it wrong.

Oswald groaned and opened his eyes, his vision blurry from sleep, only to remember all that had happened the previous night. Sitting up slightly in bed he caught sight of a heavily laden breakfast tray resting on top of his bedside table and, looking closer, the tiny origami penguin which was nestled in between the crockery. He smiled.

 

“Good morning Mr Mayor.”

 

Oswald turned to find Ed, already up and dressed with a pile of half finished paperwork strewn across the bed, sat on top the covers next to him, beaming. “I managed to get the kitchen all to myself for once and I thought you might appreciate breakfast in bed” Edward explained casually.

 

“Thank you, Ed” Oswald replied warmly, sitting up properly so as to safely transfer the tray onto his lap. Then, having carefully moved the little paper bird to one side, he began to eat. 

 

There was a comfortable silence then Ed put down the, now completed, paperwork aside and shuffled round slightly so as to face his beloved husband better. “So about that whole ‘Make Gotham safe again’ thing” he began slyly which caused Oswald to burst out laughing.

 

“Business as usual” Penguin clarified “Although it will still produce the required results. This is Gotham. You cannot eradicate crime. You can only control, something which  the GCPD seem to be unable to grasp.” 

 

Ed nodded in agreement. He had never realised just how stifling life at the GCPD was, how ridged it’s code had been and how much had dictated his life, until he had met Oswald and realised what life could really be like.  It was this ability to adapt, to go against the rules and make his own that ensured Penguin’s perch as the ruler of Gotham and Edward loved that life infinitely more. He wouldn’t exchange it for the world.

 

“I figured that that would be the case” he said at length “That is why I have taken the liberty of drawing up your schedules for the day. This one covers your duties as mayor whilst this one lists your activities as kingpin of the underworld.”

 

Penguin accepted the pieces of paper gratefully and checked them over. Every important task was, of course, present and accounted for. “Are these colour coded?” he asked after a moments scrutiny.

 

Ed’s cheeks went a dull pink as he twisted his hands together self consciously. “Yes, I thought it might help with keeping track of things. The colours represent the importance of the job, the closer to red the higher the priority” he replied shyly. After everything they had been through, still determined to please and forever worried that he had failed to do so.

 

His nerves evaporated the moment Oswald leant forwards over the breakfast tray and pressed their lips together in a kiss. Ed sighed contentedly, sinking into the embrace and snaking his arms around Oswald’s waist. A hand reached upwards to clutch his hair, causing his perfectly styled locks to revert back to their natural curl, and Edward couldn’t help but smile. 

 

“I love you” Oswald whispered tenderly, gazing up at Ed adoringly through half closed lids as they rested their foreheads together. 

 

“I love you too” Ed replied with feeling as he stared down at his beautiful bird. Then he ruined the moment somewhat by reaching across to Oswald’s plate, nicking an abandoned strawberry and popping it in his mouth as Penguin looked on, scandalised. 

 

“Hey!” Oswald cried.

 

Ed laughed playfully and moved in for another kiss.

 

*************************************************

 

It was a busy and rather stressful week that followed, one day quickly blurring into the next in a series of boring public appearances and civic duties. Although he wouldn’t relinquish his control of Gotham for anything, Oswald had to admit that his duties as mayor were already becoming tedious. Soup kitchens and school busses were hardly the height of excitement.

 

Still, he couldn’t help but admit that he got a rush from all the happy and adoring faces that made up the crowds that now surrounded him wherever he went. Edward had been right, buying the election would never have been this fulfilling. It was nice to know that for once, after so long of being hated and being shunned, the people of Gotham actually wanted him. However, as was proven one grey day outside of city hall, his popularity was far from universal.

Zsasz, Gertrud, Elijah and Edward stood slightly to the side as Oswald took centre stage in front of the group of reporters who had congregated on the steps bellow him to listen to his speech. Penguin was in his element, public speaking having always been a talent of his, and as a result was not expecting such a violent interruption as the one he received a moment later.

 

“And I promise that from this moment onwards this city will no longer have to live in fear. I vowed that I would make Gotham safe again and that is exactly what I have done. This is the beginning of a new era” Oswald announced importantly and his words were, initially, received favourably. The press seemed happy at any rate. This relative peace would not last long, however.

 

There was a screeching of tires and a black van skidded round the corner, its side door opening as it zoomed past. “Not so safe now. Are you, Mr Mayor?” a man in a red balaclava shouted. He pulled out a tommy gun and took aim. 

 

Ed launched himself at Oswald, who was stood frozen with shock and knocked him to the ground as he felt bullets whiz dangerously low over their heads. This is the second time I’ve saved someone from a speeding bullet, Ed thought, thinking back to when he had saved Miss Kringle back during the attack on the GCPD last year. Luckily the red hooded man didn’t hang around anywhere near as long as Jerome and his followers had done and soon Edward was helping his husband get gingerly to his feet.

 

“Anya! Apa! Minden rendben?!” Oswald practically screamed, rushing over to is parents in fright. Thankfully both of them were unharmed. Zsasz had been quick to react and had pulled them out of the line of fire just in time. Whilst Oswald comforted his parents, holding his mother close as she planted relieved kisses on his forehead, Ed and Zsasz went after the red hoods who were already vanishing from view.

 

“Any luck?” Ed asked, hoping that Zsasz’s superior skills with a pistol would have yielded better results than his own failed shots.

 

“Luck as in they’re dead or luck as in I hit them?” Victor countered as he returned his guns to their holsters in disappointment. 

 

“Either” Edward replied, concealing his own weapons and becoming increasingly aware of the reporters who were watching them closely. 

 

“Got one of the guys in the shoulder but that’s it.”

 

Ed groaned. Having both done all that they could do for now, he and Zsasz made their way back up the steps to City Hall where Penguin was busy composing himself. 

 

“Mayor Cobblepot, what is going to be done about the red hoods?” a reporter called.

 

Edward had to admire the bravery of the press. He doubted he’d have the nerve to start badgering Penguin with questions when he had that expression of exquisite rage etched across his face. 

 

Oswald drew himself up to his full height, his body quivering with barely suppressed rage. “Oh, they will pay for this. Mark my words” he spat venomously “These red hoods will be stopped and not only that but they will be made an example of. This interview is now over.”

 

Despite the clamoring and protesting from the gathered reporters Oswald turned on his heel and began to lead the way back towards the cars that would take them home. His duty to the ‘people’ now fulfilled, it was clear that Oswald’s only thought was of getting his family safely away from the dangers of the streets.

 

Once his parents had been driven away, under the protective custody of Zsasz, Oswald heaved a heavy sigh as he finally allowed himself to let his guard down. “Thank you, Ed” he breathed, burying his face in Edward’s chest as he wrapped his arms around him tightly.

 

He’d had many close shaves with death over the years but, despite how he may seemingly brush them aside in front of everyone else, it never got any less terrifying. A show of bravery was necessary in front of the public and minions. Respect was a fragile thing, after all. With Ed, however, he could show how he truly felt.

 

Ed sighed heavily as he hugged Oswald, nuzzling his face into the jet black locks as he noticed a couple of rouge tears soak into the fabric of his dark green suit. There was no sign that Oswald had been crying when he broke away from the embrace a moment later, however. In fact, if Edward hadn’t known better he would have assumed he had imagined it. Penguin looked as dignified and in control as ever. 

 

“I need to get my parents out of Gotham” Oswald said suddenly a while later as Ed drove them back towards Van Dahl manor. 

 

Edward stared back at him in amazement. He could see where Oswald was coming from. Today had been a lucky escape and it wasn’t the first time that Gertrud and Elijah had almost gotten caught in the crossfire of the battlefield which was Gotham city. 

 

Despite his initial (and misplaced) hatred of Elijah, Ed had become very fond of hi parents in-law and wanted them to be safe just as much as Oswald did. However, he simply couldn’t imagining Penguin staying in Gotham without them or either of his parents agreeing to leave him behind. Edward wasn’t sure Gertrud had even been properly separated from her ‘little Kapelput’ since she had given birth to him. They had been parted a week or two at the most but then only very occasionally. He doubted she would let Oswald send her away even if it was for her own safety. Regardless of the undeniable logic behind Penguin’s decision Ed felt it was an almost impossible plan to carry out.

 

“Are you sure?” Edward asked with all seriousness. The look that Penguin shot his way was answer enough. 

 

“Of course I’m sure. I’ve been thinking about it for quite a while actually. The city just getting too dangerous and the longer I keep them here the more I am putting them at risk. I can’t let them get hurt, or worse, because of me. I couldn’t bare it. I’m going to send them far away, somewhere safe.”

 

Ed nodded understandingly, reaching over to give his beloved’s hand a reassuring squeeze before returning his attention to the road. “Where were you thinking of sending them?” he asked.

 

Oswald opened his mouth to reply but for some reason he stopped himself at the last second. He trusted Ed more than pretty much anyone yet his instinct was screaming at him not to confide in his husband. He had no idea why. He could even begin to understand this feeling of unease which had suddenly engulfed him but Oswald had learned long ago to never ignore his instincts. They were one of the only reasons he was still alive after everything life had thrown at him. So, in spite of how bad it made him feel, he lied.

 

“I haven’t decided yet” he muttered sadly. Now, he had lied many times during his life, to everyone from his mother to people who would happily kill him should they caught the slightest whiff of dishonesty, but lying to Ed felt so much worse. After everything they had been through together and after all Edward had done for him betraying his trust just seemed wrong. The worst bit was that he had no valid reason other than that his instincts told him not to,  something that no one else would understand should he admit to it. All Penguin could do was hope that he was making the right decision. 

 

There was a long pause. “I’m going to call a meeting” Penguin said finally “Someone must know something about these red hoods and if they don’t then it is about time they started looking. I want these me caught as soon as possible and for that we are going to need to look to our own people. One thing’s for sure, the GCPD certainly aren’t going to be able to manage it and I don’t have time to play by the rules.”

 

“Oswald” Ed asked excitedly as he was seized by an unexpected idea “I might be able to help the GCPD along abit with the investigation or at the very least get hold of whatever information they manage to get back from any evidence they have found. I’d need you to pull a few strings for me though. What’s the point of being mayor if you don’t get a say in how things work in your own city though, right?”

 

Thankful for a distraction from his less than pleasant thoughts Oswald smiled inquisitively. 

 

“What did you have planned exactly?”

 

************************************************

  
  


“We’ve found the truck.”

 

Barnes groaned, heaving himself up out of his chair so he could follow Bullock out into the bullpen. 

 

“They ditched it in the Narrows” Bullock informed him “We got forensics going over it and a team doing a ten block sweep. We already found this.” He handed over a red woolen balaclava to the captain of the GCPD. 

 

“The red hood gang? I thought those idiots were dead” Barnes asked, frowning in confusion. 

 

“My guess is that someone is copying the look” Harvey replied “The original red hood’s were bank robbers.”

 

Barnes sighed. He hated copycat criminals. They captured the public's imagination and the next thing you knew there were a hundred or more kids running around the city in masks thinking they were cool. These red hoods needed to be stopped as soon as possible. 

 

“Expand the search to fifteen blocks. Everything goes through me” he ordered.

 

“You mean through me.” 

 

The two cops turned in the direction of the door to see who had spoken and immediately felt their hearts sink. 

 

Edward Nygma grinned broadly as he watched a wave of shocked silence wash over the precinct. To say that he was receiving a somewhat frosty reception would be no exaggeration. Only Kristen seemed mildly pleased to see him. She gave him a discrete little wave from across the bullpen before making her way back to the filing room to continue her work.

 

“Wow!” Ed gasped before chuckling delightedly “It is good to be back. I have missed all of you. Harvey, still a stranger to to a haircut and shave I see.” 

 

It truly was good to be back although to say that he had missed his former colleagues was, largely, a downright lie. Now, with the mayor's office behind him and the city's most notorious criminal as his husband, he commanded the sort of power and attention here that a couple of years ago he could only have dreamt of and boy was Ed loving every second of it. 

 

“What are you doing here, Nygma?” Bullock barked. Despite having been invited to Penguin's wedding he made no secret of the hostility he felt towards the gangland kingpin and his 'lapdog.’ 

 

“I'm here on behalf of the mayor's office. I'll be your liaison during the red hood investigation. I'll need copies of all reports as well as access to your forensic lab” Edward announced, now addressing Captain Barnes as opposed to the deadbeat homicide detective who was currently glaring daggers at him.

 

“I'll be damned!”Barnes exclaimed “You were fired and for good reason. There's is no way I'm going to let you waltz around my precinct like you own the place.”

 

“Yes, I was fired which you will no doubt be if you fail to carry out the mayor's orders” Ed replied coldly as he took a step closer, towering over Barnes who fumbled with his cane furiously, resisting the urge to smack Nygma round the head with it. 

 

Although far from intimidated he found it insulting that someone  such as Nygma had the audacity to try and humiliate him in this way in front of his officers. “The mayor can't fire me” he blustered. However, his words seemed to bring only more delight to the bean pole of a man stood opposite him.

 

“No but he can appoint a police commissioner who will. How does that sound?” 

 

Barnes made a face reminiscent of someone trying to swallow their own vomit. “Tell the mayor that I am happy to help” the captain of the GCPD simpered finally before storming off to his office, watched on by an incredulous Harvey Bullock.

 

It was strange for Ed, walking back into his former place of work after so long an absence. When he had worked at the GCPD the forensics lab had been more like his home, he had certainly felt much happier here than he ever had back in his tiny cold apartment, and during his time there he had arranged everything just the way he liked it. His own little corner of Gotham where he could take shelter from the rest of the world, surrounded by facts and puzzles to keep him distracted and hardly ever bothered by the opinions of idiots.

 

However, that was all in the past now. The lab was now Lucius Fox’s domain and, although he had barely moved a thing, the change was enough to make Edward do a marked double take. He had never considered himself a sentimentalist, a grave miscalculation which Oswald would be only too happy to disprove, but Ed couldn't help but feel somewhat saddened at how the place he had once felt so at home in now seemed so thoroughly alien to him. Not that he had long to dwell on the subject. 

 

“Mr Nygma, my favourite bomb disposal partner. I heard that you might be dropping by.” 

 

“Foxy, just the man I wanted to see” Ed replied warmly as he turned to apply and rub some disinfectant gel into his hands. Blowing once on his hands once as soon as the gel had dried, an old ritual of his, Edward faced Lucius Fox, who was reclining in a chair behind his desk smiling pleasantly, once more. Edward liked Foxy. He was a man of reasonable intelligence, a rare breed in Gotham, and not only that but he was nice to him which Ed did not let go by unappreciated.

 

“So, any news on the red hood front?” 

 

“Take a look for yourself” Lucius invited with a gesture of his hand towards the microscope in front of him. 

 

Adjusting his glasses, Edward bent over and peered into the eye piece. 

 

“We tracked down their van, it had been abandoned a few blocks away from the crime scene. What you are currently looking at is a sample of the carpet fibers from inside” Foxy explained “As you can see all the usual components are there but also, oddly enough, traces of potassium chloride.” 

 

“A halide salt” Ed muttered to himself thoughtfully before straightening up “Any other leads? Theories?” 

 

Lucius shook his head. “No. In fact I was hoping you would have some ideas” he admitted, much to Edward's disappointment.

 

There was a pause the Ed sighed. At the moment no obvious solution was presenting itself to him, a situation he found unbelievably frustrating. 

 

Not only did he want to get this business sorted out quickly for Oswald's sake, Penguin had more than enough to deal with already, but he was afraid that his lack of ready answers meant that he was now embarrassing himself in front of Foxy and Ed didn't like that one bit. So far Lucius had treated him with nothing but respect and he didn't want that to change. The last thing he needed was to add yet another name to the list of people who, in spite of everything, still didn't take him seriously.

 

“I'll go over all the evidence we have so far as well as have Miss Kringle pull up all the paperwork on the original red hoods cross reference it with that. If that doesn't yield any results then I'll have a word with some of my contacts. Someone is bound to know something. We’ll get to the bottom of this in no time” Ed said in a business like manner, emulating far more confidence than he felt.

 

Bidding Foxy farewell he left the GCPD, taking a quick debtor to allow Miss Kringle to ply her trade before doing so. Ed doubted it would do any good though. He had the nasty the suspicious that these red hoods would strike again before they were brought to justice. Edward only hoped that Oswald and his family would be able to pull of a second luck escape when the time came.


	6. To catch a Red Hood you need a red herring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!! <3 <3 <3 I thought today was an appropriate day for this chapter. :)

 

 

As it turned out, Edward’s prediction that the Red Hoods were just getting started proved to be correct. However; it wasn’t so much Oswald’s life that came under fire next but his reputation. After all, Ed couldn’t see what point there would be in blowing up a bus and a very unfortunate priest and instructing the children who had witnessed the tragedy to blame Penguin for the incident unless to make a clear statement against the mayor. It as obvious that the Red Hoods wanted him not just disposed of but ruined in the eyes of the public, a goal which was becoming more within their reach with every passing hour.

  
The words ‘Make Gotham safe again’ were quickly become a cause for ridicule among the city’s citizens and the mayors ill timed absence whilst the streets were plagued with this latest horror did nothing to help matters. Although Edward made sure to mention in the statement that he gave to the press that Oswald had been called out of town because of an unavoidable family emergency and that he would be back as soon as possible it was a very much a case of damage already done. The papers ran headlines denouncing Penguin for his abandonment of the people which only helped propel the scare tactics of the Red Hood gang still further whilst civilian discontent continued to grow at an alarming rate.

  
At least Gertrud and Elijah were safe. That was the most important thing, Ed supposed. Despite the reassurance that this information inevitably provided; however, for Edward it provided more problems than it solved. Although Oswald’s insistence that Ed stayed behind to take care of things in Gotham whilst he was away had undoubtedly been the right decision, especially when you looked at in retrospect, Edward couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with the level of secrecy that was surrounding his husband’s actions of late.

  
You see, Penguin still hadn’t entrusted Ed with the knowledge of Gertrud and Elijah’s whereabouts. This worried Edward immensely. Did Oswald not trust him anymore? The stunt with the election board, despite having paid off, was perhaps still weighing on the King of Gotham’s mind. Yet this, Edward felt was not the main reason for this change in openness between them.

  
He’s disappointed in me because I haven’t managed to stop the Red Hood gang yet, he thought to himself over and over again as he worked. After all, Oswald’s parents wouldn’t have had to leave the city if it hadn’t become to dangerous for them to stay. Maybe Oswald blamed Edward, resented him even, for the fact that he was now being forced to part with his family and Ed couldn’t cope with that possibility, no matter how unlikely it may be.

  
Which is why he could be found staying up night after night, refusing to sleep, whilst he continued in his fruitless search for leads that would help him crack the case. He pulled everyone in their criminal network that they could spare off of their ordinary jobs in the hope that the additional eyes around the city would yield some results.

  
Edward had been left to look after both Penguin’s city and empire but after just a few short days that was all in danger of falling apart and Ed was taking his failure hard. He had to fix this and soon otherwise how could he possibly expect his husband to ever trust or respect him again. The situation to his problem finally presented itself to him but not in a way which he could possibly have predicted.

  
“This has gone on long enough” Penguin ranted as he paced up and down the room with a glass of wine clutched in his hand. A habit which was becoming increasingly common.

  
Ed sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He had to solve this. Every moment that he didn’t Oswald was growing more and more disappointed in him, he was certain of it. The many assurances that his spouse had made to the contrary since his return to Gotham did nothing to persuade him otherwise.

  
“They think because I am mayor now that they can get away with it. That I’ll be powerless to stop them because I have to play by different rules” Oswald continued, oblivious to his husband’s inner torment “Well I’ll show them. Soon I’ll be roasting their entrails over a fire!”

  
“I’m not sure that would be wise” Ed muttered unthinkingly.

  
“I don’t care!”

  
Oswald groaned, glaring down at his sopping wet sleeve which had accidentally been splashed with wine during his miniature tantrum. Edward leapt out of his seat in order to come to his aid.

  
“What are you doing?” Oswald asked as his beloved carefully poured salt on to the offending stain.

  
“It’s an old trick I learned in the lab” Ed explained matter-of-factly “Most solvents have as their base…” He stopped dead. Penguin stared at him in growing confusion, salt covered wrist still suspended in the air.

  
“I’m the son of water but if water touches me I die. What am I?”

  
Penguin continued to gape at him, nonplussed and quickly losing patience.

  
“Salt. It’s an ingredient in most detergents and was also found at the first Red Hood crime scene” Ed babbled excitedly.

  
“And?”

  
“That means that I now know where the Red Hoods are.”

  
The mayor’s eyes lit up with delight and he leant in to plant a grateful kiss on Ed’s cheek before reaching for the phone. “Butch” he chirped down the receiver a moment later “We’ve found them. They’re in an abandoned warehouse down by the docks. Meet us there immediately.”

  
“Sure thing, Boss” Butch replied but from the way his face drained of all colour it was clear that he did not consider this good news. He hung up before rushing out to his car. He had to get there before the others did, if he didn’t then consequences didn’t bare thinking about.

  
It was a panic filled ride at breakneck speeds to the docks but it was worth it when, as he pulled up outside of the warehouse, Butch realised that he had managed to get there first. No one else was in sight at any rate and that was a good sign. However, his good fortune ran short a few moments later.

  
“I’m breaking up the band. You guys have got to get out of here.”

  
The group of thugs that he had hired to play the Red Hoods merely laughed incredulously.

  
“I’m serious! Penguin is on to you guys. You need to leave town now while you still have a chance” Butch entreated them. His words didn’t seem to be having the desired effect on his audience; however.

  
“No” the ‘leader’ of the motley crew snapped, his mouth stretched into a smug grin “We were promised a pay day so we ain’t leaving until we get it.”

  
Now Butch wasn’t the sort of guy who’d usually cheat someone of what they were owed, in fact he considered himself a pretty fair guy in most respects, but he did not have time for this. Looking over his shoulder he saw Penguin, Nygma and Zsasz approaching fast. He had only minutes until they were upon him. It was now or never.

  
“I’m sorry guys” he said as he reached for the tommy gun which was popped up against a barrel to his right. One of the Red Hoods realised what he was about to do and reached for their pistol but they were too late. The sounds from the gunshots bounced off the high metal ceiling and echoed horribly around the room as Oswald finally reached Butch’s side.

  
“I got them, Boss” Butch crowed, panting slightly as he emptied one final bullet into the head of a man who had escaped the onslaught with breath still in his lungs.

  
“Good job, Butch” Oswald said proudly as he surveyed the scene of devastation with satisfaction. However, Edward wasn’t satisfied with these results. He wasn’t satisfied at all.

  
********************************

  
“Alright everyone! Pack up and let’s go. We’re done here.”

  
Ed shone his torch over the crime scene for what felt like the thousandth time. There was something wrong with this image, he just couldn’t figure out what. Oswald and the GCPD may believe that the case was closed, in fact the mayor had already given a press conference in which he had applauded Butch’s efforts, but Edward felt sure that there was more to it.

  
“You know, even before your little ‘slip up’ with Dougherty I never liked you” Bullock said harshly, getting right up in Edward’s personal space.

  
Ed felt a hot spike of anger surge through him but he did his best to ignore it. “Your zipper is down” was all he said in response to Bullock’s jibe. There was a brief silence as Harvey checked his flies.

  
“Look, no one is going to lose sleep over some dead lowlifes. Least of all me. I don’t see what you are making a such a fuss about. Who’s side are you even on, anyway?” Bullock added exasperatedly. He knew full well that if the report Nygma delivered to Penguin was unsatisfactory then thing would undoubtedly go badly for him and the thought of being ordered around by that pipsqueak of a mob boss was more than Harvey Bullock could stand.

  
“Look at the way the bodies fell” Ed pointed out suddenly, clearly not paying the slightest bit of attention to what the detective had been saying “Butch comes all the way into the room and only one man pulls out a gun.”

  
“Maybe they weren’t threatened” Bullock replied. Edward shot him a condescending look.

  
“By a three hundred pound gorilla?”

  
Bullock threw up his hands angrily in surrender before storming off. In his opinion losing Nygma to the mob was one of the best things to ever happen to the GCPD. He did not miss working with him one jolt.

  
Ed took a moment to glare murderously at the back of the retreating cop before taking a deep calming breath and returning to his scrutiny of the room. Perhaps now he would be able to investigate more effectively without the prattling of fools constantly breaking his concentration.

  
As the beam of his torch moved across the room once more something caught his eye. Edward picked up one of the suits and felt a strange sense of familiarity burning inside of him. Now, where had he seen a ensemble like this before? He had a theory but he would have to make a few calls before he knew for certain if he was right.

  
“How interesting” Ed muttered as a wide smile spread across his face.

  
*********************************

  
“To Butch!”

  
There was clink of glasses as the three conspirators celebrated.

  
“I have to say that you have done pretty well” Barbara admitted “Managing to cover up your tracks just in the nick of time. Who knew you were capable of thinking on your feet like that.”

  
Butch scowled at her, not failing to notice the hint of sarcasm in her voice. “Thanks” he grunted before downing his drink.

  
“Of course we still don’t have any real reason to celebrate yet” Barbara continued tetchily “After all, the little bird is still alive.”

  
“Will you keep it down?” Tabitha hissed. She looked over shoulder, feeling sure that someone must have overheard them. However, the hustle and bustle of the Iceberg Lounge continued regardless of their plans to kill the owner. No one had noticed them. They were safe. For now.

  
“Look, I’ll admit there have been setbacks” Butch argued in hushed tones “None of which were my fault, I might add. The fact is though that we got close. We damaged his reputation and we lived to see another day. If we can just play our parts for a little bit longer then we’ll have him.” There was a moments silence.

  
“Fine” Barbara snapped with a false smile that made her displeasure all the more evident “Now if you’ll excuse us, Tabby and I have a party to host.” With that the two women walked off to attend to the guests, leaving Butch with only his empty shot glass for company.

  
As much as he wanted Penguin dead, more for Fish’s sake than anything else, he absolutely this new arrangement of working under Barbara. He couldn’t wait until this was all over so that they could go their separate ways. He would miss Tabitha though. He didn’t have long to dwell on this; however, as his thoughts were at that moment rudely interrupted by the appearance of Edward Nygma.

  
“Butch, just the man I wanted to see. Would you be so kind as to help me with something?” Ed asked, grinning.

  
With a strong sense of foreboding nagging away at him but unable to refuse the request Butch followed Ed reluctantly out into the corridor which lead to the kitchen. He had the nasty feeling that Ed was onto him. The man had been hovering over him like a bad smell for some time, ever since Fish’s escape to be exact, and this did not bode well at all. Butch could understand why Nygma was doing it. He was just trying to protect his husband, after all. It was commendable really. Still, it did nothing to change the fact that if Edward tried to stop him then Butch would kill him without hesitation. Fish was all that mattered. Besides, Butch had never quite forgiven Ed for interfering with the election.

  
“So, what is this all about?” Butch asked once they were out of sight and earshot of everyone else. Ed’s grin grew even wider, if such a thing were possible. Never a good sign.  
“I just wanted to give you this. A gift to show my gratitude to you for your excellent work in dealing with the Red Hoods situation.”

  
Butch opened the small cardboard box which had been thrust into his hands to reveal a square of crimson fabric. He frowned. What was this all about? “No thanks. I’ve already got one” he replied roughly, shoving the box back at Nygma dismissively.

  
“Of course you do” Edward acknowledged with a patronising tone, not surprised by his companion’s response in the slightest “And you certainly wouldn’t want this one as it is so similar to your own pocket square.” He reached out and picked an invisible thread from the piece of fabric which was already nestled in the pocket of the thug’s suit. He took deep breath before continuing, relishing every delicious moment of this little power play.

  
“You see, this particular pocket square and several others the same were found at the Red Hood crime scene along with suits to match. I did a bit of digging and found out that they were all made by the same tailor, My Fuji, who has a shop on the other side of town. I paid Mr Fuji a visit and he told me that a man of your description came in a couple of days ago and bought all the suits; which means, ta da!, you’re the leader of the Red Hood gang!”

  
Edward’s excited ramblings were promptly cut short by Butch grabbing him by the jacket and shoving him against the wall. “I’m going to kill you” his assailant growled menacingly.

  
Ed smirked. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you could see what was happening in the kitchen” he replied coolly.

  
Butch glared at him before, against his better judgement, loosening his grip so that he was able to drag Nygma along with him to the kitchen. What he saw made his blood run cold.

  
“Hey” said Zsasz cheerfully, greeting them with a little wave. His other hand was pointing a pistol at Tabitha Galavan, an action which was being copied the three henchmen he had with him.

  
“You got to Tabby?!” Butch cried in horror, staring from Edward to Zsasz to Tabitha in dismay.

  
Ed laughed wickedly. “Now, this is what I want you to do” he snarled as he pushed a red balaclava into Butch’s grip.

  
*********************************

  
“Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to the Iceberg Lounge.”

  
Oswald scanned the bustling brightly lit room anxiously as Barbara Kean continued to make announcements in a, supposedly alluring, overly breathy voice.

  
Although this was technically his party, an opportunity to celebrate both his victory in the election as well as the end of the recent plague of terror attacks than the city had been suffering from, he wasn’t exactly enjoying the festivities. The fact that his parents weren’t here to rejoice with him did little to lift his spirits but Penguin’s main concern was actually Edward, Butch and Zsasz. Neither his husband or his two right hand men were anywhere to be seen and this worried him.

  
This, like every other moment in his life, was one that he wanted to share with Ed but his beloved remained absent from his side. Oswald wondered what he was up to. If it hadn’t been for the fact that he was being forced to pander to the press and public with false smiles and meaningless handshakes then he would have gone to find out the answer for himself but sadly mayoral duties came first.

  
“And now” Barbara finished with her best approximation of a dazzling smile “The mayor would like to say a few words.”

  
Oswald started slightly as those words roused him from his thoughts. As he made his way towards the stage; however, he felt someone suddenly grab him firmly by the arm.  
“Ed! Where have you been? I have been looking for you everywhere.”

  
“Oh, just tying up loose ends. I just wanted to wish you good luck.”

  
Edward pressed a small kiss on the tip of Penguin’s nose before ushering him to the front of his eagerly awaiting audience. Only once they were there did Ed realise that Oswald had an equally tight grip on him as he found himself being pulled up on stage alongside his little bird.

  
“We are doing this together” Oswald whispered discretely before turning to address the sea of people gathered before them. Ed simply smiled. All the better to enjoy the show, he thought to himself.

  
“People of Gotham, thank you for choosing me as your new mayor. Together we have already dealt with a menace and dreadful risk to this city, the Red Hoods. Rest assured that my hard work will not stop there. During my campaign I made a vow. A vow to help you make Gotham safe again and I intend to keep that promise. This is the start of a new and brighter future for Gotham!” Penguin declared.

  
There was a resounding cheer as the sound of applause bounced off the shiny black walls of the Lounge. However, the good mood was fated to take an unpleasant nose dive.

  
“Not so fast, Mr Mayor. The Red Hoods aren’t done with you yet!”

  
Screams echoed around the room and there was a mad, but in vain, dash for cover. Oswald made to flee but found himself being held in place by his husband. He stared at him in fear, confused and hurt by what seemed very much like an act of unspeakable treachery but surely it couldn’t be so? What was going on?

  
The shot rang out followed by an eerie silence. Penguin blinked rapidly but no matter how long he waited the searing pain which he had expected never arrived. Edward burst out laughing, his joyous mirth shaking his whole body as he gently released his spouse.

  
Their armed assailant gaped at his useless gun in disbelief but he did not have time to fathom his mistake as the next second another shot rang out and he sank to his knees in agony. Zsasz, grinning from ear to ear, had arrived on the scene.

  
Ed advanced towards Oswald’s would be assassin, a cockiness in his stride, as everyone in attendance watched in anticipation. “Now we have the real leader caught. Red handed!” he cried jubilantly before pulling off the red balaclava with a flourish. There was a collective gasp.

  
“Butch?” Oswald breathed in dismay, unable to believe it “Why would you do this?”

  
Butch glared at his boss. “Why do you think?” he snarled “Fish! That’s why. You murdered her once and there was no way I was going to let you do it again. So I helped her escape and tried to do you in order to protect her. Besides, I was sick of you and Nygma constantly pushing me out. I deserve better than this. Unfortunately your guy caught wise and set me up.”

  
“What? Did you really think that I would give you real bullets? You idiot!” Edward taunted the wounded man cruelly but he fell silent the moment that Penguin approached the microphone once more.

  
“I am shocked and grieved” Oswald stammered whilst cameras flashed in his eyes “That one of my oldest friends has betrayed me but I promise you, he will not be permitted to terrorise Gotham any longer. He, along with others like him, shall face serious consequences. Let it be known that the mayor’s office will prosecute ANYONE that threatens the peace and safety of this city and its citizens.”

  
The acclamations that this statement would have no doubt received were forever put on ice by the arrival of Tabitha Galavan who was viciously stabbing one of Zsasz’s henchmen in the back. Chaos quickly ensued.

  
“Oswald, Move!”

  
Edward shoved his love out of harm’s way just in the nick of time as Butch surged forwards.

  
He wondered whether this was how Miss Kringle had felt when she had her brush with death. Ed supposed so. The rush of fear as firm hands constricted his windpipe, the way his vision was slowly fading to black as his breath deserted him and his ears filled with a relentless ringing. It was both terrifying and thrilling, strangely but undeniably thrilling.

Still; as Butch’s angry red face swam before his eyes, growing fainter by the second, the excitement of the moment did nothing to disguise the panic he felt at his life gradually leaving him. It couldn’t end this way. Oswald needed him. However, his struggling did no good as soon the world disappeared altogether. Only the pain remained.

  
Penguin watched in horror as Butch attempted to exact his revenge, desperately trying to figure out what to do. He had to act now or it would be too late. Ed’s life was at stake.

  
“Best party ever!” Barbara cried cheerfully, raising a bottle of champagne in a solitary toast. Penguin shot her a murderous glare. How dare she make such a flippant remark at a time like this. When this was over he would have both her and Tabitha fired. Yet her ill timed celebrations did give him a sudden idea. Snatching the champagne bottle out of Barbara’s hands Oswald leapt forwards an smacked Edward’s attacker around the head with it. Butch crumpled to floor. Oswald shoved him unceremoniously aside, hands trembling as he grasped hold of his husband’s jacket and shook it violently.

  
“Ed! Ed!”

  
His heart leapt into his throat, practically choking him, as he searched for signs of life. For a brief moment there was nothing. Then Edward jolted violently with a gasp as his breath began to return to him.

  
“Ed” Oswald screeched again, blinking back tears. He cradled Ed’s head in his hands as he gazed down at him fretfully. Edward blinked rapidly as the worried face of his beloved bird came into focus and his lungs began to refill with the sweet oxygen that Butch’s assault had robbed them of.

  
‘Oswald’ he tried to say, desperate to reassure the love of his life that everything would be alright, but all he could manage was a feeble croak.

  
“Shh” Oswald insisted, holding him close and burying his face in the crook of Edward’s neck. Ed could feel tears trickling down the collar of his shirt. “It’s ok. I’ve got you” Oswald whispered in his ear before dissolving into quiet relieved sobs.

  
The journey home was a blur to Edward. There was just too much going on. Fuss from patrons, hungry hoards of press looking for a story and the bumbling baboons from the GCPD trying to clear up the mess. He paid little attention to any of them as per his spouse’s suggestion. In all honesty his head was swimming so much that he felt like he was going to puke so he wasn’t able to pay attention to his surroundings properly even if he wanted to.

  
He made a mental note to apologise, yet again, to Kristen. Maybe get her some flowers. How she had been so forgiving after he had put her through that he would never know.

  
Eventually Ed arrived back at Van Dahl manor and by this point he could feel his strength slowly returning to him. He was steered onto the sofa and left for the briefest of moments before Oswald returned to his side now clutching a cup of tea.

  
“Ginger tea with honey. It’s my mother’s recipe for a sore throat.”

  
Edward gratefully accepted the beverage, hissing slightly in pain as the hot liquid hit the back of his throat but he was surprised to find that despite this that it was unpredictably soothing. There was silence.

  
Oswald placed a hand on Ed’s knee, squeezing gently, and staring into his eyes with an expression of tender worry. “Why did you do it?” he whispered “”Why did you put yourself at risk?”

  
Ed gave a small cough before replying. “Your reaction at seeing Butch had to be genuine” he explained in a hoarse voice “The people had to believe it and they did.”

  
“You could have been killed.”

  
“But you saved me. Again” Ed said with a smile. He ran his thumb gently across Oswald’s cheek “You are always saving me, in more ways than you could even know.”

  
Rather than contradict him Oswald simply kissed his partner gently on the palm of the hand. “Nothing is worth more than your life. Do you understand me? Not power, Gotham, the press or the people. Not anything” Penguin insisted “I would rather give up everything I have built than lose you. So promise me that you will never do such a wonderful but foolish thing again.”

  
Edward nodded slowly, biting his lower lip slightly whilst trying and failing to hold back tears. Moments like this, when he was reminded of just how much Oswald loved him, were painful and beautiful in equal measure. He had never dreamed that he could be loved this much and even now he still didn’t really believe it but it was a wonderful feeling all the same.

  
Despite his aching throat he still felt as though his heart would burst with happiness as Oswald pulled him into an affectionate embrace. It was then that he realised that, though he would never say as much to Oswald, he would gladly take on Butch everyday for the rest of his life if it always ended in moments like this.


	7. Is this wine evil or just corked?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what today (27/03/2019) is! IT IS THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THIS FIC SERIES!!!!! I can't believe it. Thank you @Dragofelin for telling me! (And also just all your help in general. You are the coolest person I know.) Also, thank you to everyone who is here reading this right now! Your support means more than I can say.This fic series has made me happier than I could have imagined (not counting all the writers block related panic attacks. Lol) and has helped me through a lot of things. The fact that has been a year makes me so pleased/proud as this is the biggest project I have ever undertaken and I never expected to get this far. So anyway, to mark this special occasion there simply had to be another chapter update. (This chapter has been such a bitch to write, don't even get me started.) Anyway, lets get this show on the road! :)  
> I expect you all know the drill by now but I'll say it anyway for old times sake. Hallucination Ed/Riddler's dialogue will be in BOLD font.

“Thank you for coming.”

  
“Of course I came. What can I do to help?”

  
Lee closed the door before automatically leading the way towards her desk. She needn’t have bothered. Having worked alongside her, Ed knew the layout of her office like the back of his hand. Once she had reached her chair she paused for a moment, seeming unsure about something. “What do you know about Jervis Tetch?” she asked finally.

  
Edward wracked his brains. He recalled seeing mention of the name in the Gotham Gazette recently but at the time he had been too preoccupied with the Red Hood situation to pay it much attention.

  
“Not much. Why?”

  
Lee sighed. “Listen, Captain Barnes doesn’t want anyone to know anything about this” she admitted “Not the mayor’s office. Not the press. Not anyone. And although I agree that the last thing we need is widespread panic I also think that it would be best if Tetch was caught as soon as possible and the way things are looking at the moment the GCPD won’t be able to manage that without help. You and the mayor have connections that we at the station don’t, ones which might prove useful. I’m asking you, as a friend, to help us but I need you to swear to me that this will be kept quiet. Not only because I could lose my job if Barnes finds out that I went behind his back but because the last think Gotham needs is city wide hysteria. So, what do you say?”

  
The small smile which had lit up his face at the way Lee had so delicately referred to his involvement with the criminal underworld slowly disappeared as he considered the matter carefully. A part of him couldn’t help but feel that he should consult his husband before agreeing to terms that the two of them would no doubt have to adhere to but his curiosity was too strong to be ignored. “Promise” Ed assured Leslie, smiling once more.

  
Lee nodded gratefully before launching into a detailed explanation of who Jervis Tetch was, what he had done so far and what the GCPD predicted he might be out to accomplish in the future. Edward listened wide eyed as she recounted the fate of Alice and the nature of the virus which had been carried in the late girl’s veins.

  
“Fascinating” Ed gasped in awe once Lee had come to the end of her tale. He could see why Barnes wanted to keep this under wraps. Goodness knows what would happen if the cities gangs caught wind of such a weapon and decided that they wanted a taste of its power. For a split second Edward allowed himself to indulge in the deliciously dark fantasy of what the city would be like after such a thing. Ultimately though he found himself coming to the same conclusion as Lee. That the virus was more trouble than it was worth. Besides, it sounded as though Tetch on his own was more than enough to contend with.

  
“So I’m assuming you want me to have a poke around the underworld, see if anyone has seen Tetch or knows what he is planning?”

  
“Yes” Lee replied “I hate to say it but the way things are going it will probably be too late by the time the GCPD catches up with him. Jim…” She stopped abruptly before rising from her chair and turned away from him, curling in on herself ever so slightly despite her best attempts to maintain her composure.

  
Ed frowned. “What is it?” he asked with genuine concern. Reading other people’s emotions was still a challenge for him sometimes but even he could see that Lee was not as at ease as she usually was.

  
Lee sighed before facing her friend once more. “Nothing. It’s just that Tetch has quite a talent for getting inside people’s heads and Jim was first responder on the case” she explained “Since then he has been acting, well, a lot more reckless than usual. I can’t help but worry about him.”

  
There was a moments silence. Then Edward went over and placed a hand awkwardly on her shoulder. He himself didn’t care much for Jim Gordon either way but he hated seeing Lee upset. She had always been a good friend to him despite everything he had done. “I’m sure Jim will be fine” he assured her in what he hoped was a confident sounding voice. It seemed to do the trick as Lee took a deep calming breath before continuing with her debriefing.

  
“I’ve had Kristen make you copies of all the files which pertain to the case. Those might be able to furnish you with some leads but I wouldn’t hold out much hope. Still, it’s the most I can offer you I am afraid.”

  
“I’ll see what I can do.”

  
*******************************

  
“Ed? Ed? Edward?!”

  
Ed gave a start as Oswald’s voice pierced through his thoughts and brought him back to the real world. He had been a million miles away, thinking about the Tetch case, and hadn’t noticed his husband’s attempts to capture his attention. He wanted to solve the problem before Oswald caught wind off it, to make him proud, but so far he’d had no luck and it was bothering him.

  
He smiled sheepishly before glancing at the two limp ties that Oswald was holding up. “Well you know how partial I am to you in purple” he contributed finally.

  
Penguin nodded before lying the blue tie across his own chest thoughtfully. “I think the brocade brings out my eyes” he said as he stared critically at his reflection in the mirror “What do you think?”

  
Edward considered for a moment. Oswald was, as he usually was when it came to fashion, correct. “I think you are absolutely right” he replied quietly as he slowly snaked his arms around his lovers waist and pulled him closer.

  
Penguin stared up at Ed, the concern he felt not quite hidden as he reached up to run a hand through the taller man’s chocolate brown curls. He hadn’t failed to notice how preoccupied Edward had been of late. The Red Hood escapade had been stressful for both of them, as had life at city hall in general, but Ed had taken it especially hard. Oswald sincerely hoped that if there was problem that his beloved would talk to him but deep down he knew that was a lot to ask for.

  
“Is everything alright, my love?” he enquired cautiously, caressing Ed’s cheek gently as he did so.

  
Edward froze for a moment. Where did he begin? How did he even explain the fear he felt every moment of every day? The fear that he wasn’t good enough. It was one which haunted him constantly and had done for as long as he could remember. No matter how much Oswald assured him that the love they shared was unconditional Ed couldn’t shake the feeling that that wasn’t the case. If Oswald knew what sort of person he was; the things he had done, tried to do and fantasized about, there was no way he could possibly continue to hold him dear. If Penguin knew that Edward had once tried to kill Elijah then he would never love him again, the noble intentions which had steered Ed towards such an act would count for nought in Oswald's eyes.

  
Even if, in spite of all these things, Oswald could still love him Ed still wouldn't be happy because the fact was that in his mind he didn't deserve that affection. After moments when his beloved had endeavoured to reassure him of his love, despite being temporarily comforted at the time, Edward was always overcome by a renewed sense of guilt because Oswald deserved so much better. Or at least, part of Edward felt that way anyway.

  
The other part? He didn't like to dwell on that. It felt wrong to resent the man who was his whole world but he did. At first he had been happy working at his husband's side, as his right hand man and chief of staff, but as the days went by he was becoming increasingly aware that this was not enough. He needed more. Why should Penguin be the only one to get respect and a chance in the spotlight? Orchestrating things from the backseat was not what Edward wanted and was only made worse by the fact that it made his talents appear far less than what they surmounted to. After all, who would believe that the man responsible for letting the Red Hoods get away with terrorising the city for so long should be treated as an equal to the King of Gotham himself?

  
Not Oswald, the voice in the back of Ed's head constantly insisted. It was common knowledge that Penguin never shared anything, never let go of the tiniest scrap of his power and although it was more validation that Edward sought the two were too closely intertwined to make it possible. Even if that wasn't the case Oswald would hardly consider someone who had failed him so consistently and who he didn't fully trust as worthy of such a show of confidence.

  
Because despite the fact that after carefully thinking the matter over he had come to understand Oswald's decision to keep Gertrud and Elijah's location a secret from everyone, including himself, it didn't stop him from internalising it as a sign of mistrust. The fact that he himself would likely have done the same had he been in that situation made no difference. Like most emotional responses it was entirely illogical yet impossible to control and Edward hated it. When teamed with the feelings of doubt which overcame him whenever he looked back over the escape of Fish and all that had gone wrong over the past few months it did nothing but fan the flames of insecurity and irrational anger which dwelled deep inside him. And that scared him.

  
Edward found himself unable to give voice to this tidal wave of emotions; however. All he could do was dip his head down just enough to distract himself with a kiss, the feeling of Oswald's soft lips against his just enough to deaden the unbearable noise inside his head. “I'm fine” he whispered in Oswald's ear as he held him close, trying to convince himself more than anything else.

  
Penguin stroked Edward's back gently as he tightened the embrace, breathing deeply as he wondered what he should do. He could tell that Ed was lying to him. He could almost always tell when people were not being honest with him and his husband was no exception. How he should approach the situation though he wasn't sure. He knew that pushing Ed would no doubt be a bad idea but he was at a loss of how else to get his beloved to confide in him. In the end he decided to leave it, for the time being at least. Hopefully if he gave Edward some space he would open up to him of his own accord. It was a feeble hope though.

  
“Well you know I am always here for you, don't you?”

  
He gazed up at Ed tenderly and Edward could see the desperation sparkling within his lover's eyes. He bit his lip nervously and nodded which earned a despondent sigh from his companion. There was a moment's silence.

  
“Well you had better get changed. We don't have much time” Oswald said finally, putting on a jovial smile that didn't reach his eyes which were still full to the brim with anxiety. He lightly patted Ed's backside as an extra indication that they needed to get a move on. Edward frowned.

  
“But the founders dinner is exclusively for Gotham's richest and most powerful elite. Someone like me would never be invited and plus ones are strictly forbidden.”

  
“Yes but I'm the Mayor of Gotham” Oswald pointed out “And if anyone thinks for one second that I am going to leave the love of my life at home then they are sorely mistaken.”

  
Ed couldn't help but smile as Oswald grinned up at him, one eyebrow raised and right hand resting on his jutted out hip. The picture of sassy confidence. It was clear that no one, not even Ed, was going to change Penguin's mind and that any poor fool who later dared comment in Edward's presence at the dinner would deeply regret it. In spite of all the sorrow he had been feeling recently Ed felt a delighted little laugh escape him because it was moments like this which reminded him why he had fallen for Oswald in the first place.

  
****************

  
The founders dinner, they soon discovered, was not worthy of the hype it received. The problem with having Gotham's oldest and, supposedly, most powerful families all in one room meant that conversation was mediocre at best. Insults disguised as compliments and passive aggressive comments were plentiful but, predictably, money made up the bulk of discussion topics.

  
Businessmen bragging about their recent success at tax evasion, old biddies snearing at the achievements of anyone who they perceived as inferior to them which made for an incredibly long list. It made even Oswald; who was far from a socialist, the opposite of one in fact, feel positively sick. To think that these people were considered the most powerful in the city. They knew nothing of Gotham, of life or of anything, yet to them he was the lesser man. How Oswald despised them.

  
That being the case it wasn't long before Penguin commandeered a couple of bottles of wine before dragging his spouse into a secluded corner. They would hide out there until the meal actually started and that way they would hopefully avoid most of the social aspects of the evening. To be honest, he just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

  
“Bullet to the head. Maybe that would shut him up” Oswald said darkly, taking a swig of wine as he nodded in the direction of a particularly animated man on the other side of the room who was delivering the punchline to a very bad joke in a booming voice which nobody could ignore.

  
Edward chuckled. “Look at all the canapes he is putting back” he replied quietly “It would be simpler to poison him. Hide something which is hard to trace in his food then blame it on a dodgy shrimp. No one would suspect a thing.”

  
Oswald beamed admiringly up at his husband who was perched on the arm of their shared armchair. He topped off Ed’s glass before pulling him down by the tie so that they were nose to nose. “I love the way you think” he murmured passionately.

  
Edward blushed to the tips of his ears, his mouth dry and his breathing shallow. There was a moment of still anticipation as the felt each others warm breath on their faces. It was just as Oswald was about to close the gap between them that the gong sounded for dinner.

  
Edward groaned inwardly and judging from the expression on his face he was willing to bet that Oswald had done the same. Hearts filled with disappointment the two of them grudgingly made their way to the dining room, fully anticipating that tonight would be one of the dullest of their lives.

  
“So, given how we are unlikely to be exposed to any decent conversation, is there anything you want to talk about?” Oswald asked Ed as they took their seats, dropping his voice before continuing “I doubt anyone will be be paying attention to us in any way so if you want to we can talk about what has been bothering you. Don't give me that look! I know that you weren't being honest with me earlier but that doesn't matter. What matters is that I want to help but I can't do that if you won't let me.”

  
Ed swallowed the retort he had been about to utter. Instead he turned his attention to his cutlery, straightening it out compulsively as he played for time. He knew that he should confide in his beloved so why did he find it so difficult to so? After a brief internal struggle he settled on a compromise.

  
“Lee Thompkins asked me to come and see her at the GCPD the other day. She wanted my help on a case” Edward admitted “I didn't tell you about it at the time because I wanted to impress you by solving the problem before you even heard about it but I haven't been having as much success as I had hoped. That being the case I am happy to tell you what I have been working on if you want to hear. It is probably best that you find out about it soon anyway.”

  
Penguin simply blinked back at him in surprise. The fact that Ed was getting involved in GCPD business again was news to him and information which he really wished he had known sooner. It was a lot easier to run the city when one knew where all their allies were directing their focus. The fact that there was also trouble in Gotham that he didn't know about was not what he liked to hear. However, the fact that Ed still cared so much about his approval was sweet if not concerning. This doubled with the fact that this was the closest Edward had come to opening up about his feelings recently meant that Penguin let this secretive behaviour slide. It wasn't as though he himself was forthcoming about his every move so it would be unfair to chide Ed for acting likewise.

  
Besides, if the delay in sharing information had brought about any negative outcomes then he was confident that together they could put it right. If he was honest Oswald felt that the two of them could do anything if they tried, that was how comfortable he was with the strength of not only their relationship but their partnership as well.

  
“I would love to know about this secret project of yours” he replied at length. He reached over and squeezed Edward's hand as he flashed him what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

  
Ed, who had been expecting more of a backlash, grimaced with relief. “Well, have you seen mention of one Jervis Tetch in the papers recently?” He asked excitedly.

  
“Indulge me.”

  
Before Ed could divulge the particulars of the case; however, the Founders dinner was abruptly brought to an end.

  
A warning shot rang through the air which caused everyone at the table to flinch in fear. Any hope of an escape was dashed by the appearance of Jervis Tetch and an entourage of hypnotized minions. Several people screamed. Edward meanwhile carefully extracted his trusty flick knife from his trouser pocket. He had a feeling that he might need it. The frightened guests turned hostages watched mystified as Tetch's henchmen placed glasses of red wine in front of each of them. Edward's face instantly drained of colour. It was suddenly very apparent to him what use the remainder of Alice's blood had been put to.

  
“ What is going on?” Oswald spluttered in confusion and it was clear that the rest of their companions were wondering the same thing.

  
“I'm afraid your evening has been hijacked, Mr Mayor. I see that the champagne didn't leave a mark. I am so glad” said Jervis, having the audacity to tap Penguin's cheek lightly with the barrel of his gun before continuing in a louder tone “For those of you who don't know me, my name is Jervis Tetch. I promise that I won't take up too much of your time but the fact is that you are the heads of Gotham and tonight the heads of Gotham will roll! But first a toast. A drink to your health.”

  
“Don't” Ed hissed. There was no way that he could let that wicked virus bring his beloved Penguin to harm.

  
Oswald shot him a look, clearly wishing to know more, but Ed didn't dare elaborate for fear of attracting Tetch's attention. The man seemed deranged as it was and his victims’ unwillingness to cooperate was quickly tipping him over the edge.

  
Finally, after another uneventful minute ticked by, Jervis had lost what little patience he had possessed. The Mayor and his Chief of staff cried out in alarm as the man suddenly grabbed hold of Penguin and pressed the barrel of the gun against his head in earnest.

  
“Drink the lot or the Mayor gets shot!”

  
Horrified gasps echoed around the room as everyone, including Oswald, scrambled to grab hold of their glasses. Edward; however, remained firm and his drink was left untouched.

  
“Don't drink it” he reminded his husband, not taking his eyes off their captor. He couldn't afford to. If he did then he could miss a key facial tell and would therefore miss his chance to act. The consequences of that were too terrible to think about.

  
Tetch pushed the pistol harder against Oswald's skin as the journey of Penguin's glass to its owners lips faltered.

  
“Trust me” Ed pleaded and despite the obvious threat to his life Oswald obeyed. The glass of wine was placed back on the table, an action which was mimicked around the room and caused Jervis’ face to contort with rage.

  
“ I gave you a choice but to the occasion you did not rise. Now because of your disobedience this civil servant dies.”

  
At that moment Ed leapt forwards and sliced Tetch's wrist, causing him to drop the gun, before tackling him to the ground. As Jervis lay on a bed of shattered glass, a result of the table cloth being pulled down on top of them as they fought and the contents which had been brought along with it hitting the floor, with Edward's knife against his throat he couldn't help but laugh for he had noticed what everyone else had not. The tiniest speck of virus infected wine which lingered on Ed's cheek. Unable to desist in his cackling Jervis rejoiced for soon his sister would be wreaking havoc on the city, just as he'd planned.

  
“Oh shut up!” Oswald snapped. He brought the gun which he had snatched from his assailants bloodied hand crashing down on the maniac's head, knocking him out cold.

  
“Thanks” Ed gasped in exhaustion as he smiled gratefully up at his lover. Rough and tumble had never been his forte. He preferred a battle of wits to a wrestling match any day.

  
“Likewise” Oswald sighed, looking relieved that this particular dinner party was now officially over.

  
“GCPD! Everyone freeze!”

  
The two of them rolled their eyes as the cops rushed in, too late to do any real good as was the norm. Still, it proved that what Penguin had said about police incompetence during his election campaign hadn't been fabricated or exaggerated in the slightest. It was disgraceful and only served to remind Edward just how thankful he was that he had broken free of the shackles of working with the police force when he had.

  
Despite the fact that the situation had already been neutralized by the time they had arrived the GCPD kept everyone at the scene of the crime for a long time whilst evidence was gathered and statements taken. This on top of the media circus which had gathered outside in hopes of getting a scope resulted it in being long past midnight by the time Edward and Oswald finally made it home.

  
“Well I for one shall not be attending any more dinner parties for a while. I don't care how good the food is” Penguin called over his shoulder to his spouse as he began to change into his pyjamas.

  
“I quite agree” Edward shot back as he made his way to the bathroom in order to brush his teeth. He was knackered. Tired physically, emotionally and mentally. Exhausted to the point where he couldn't take much more. All he wanted to do was fall asleep wrapped in Oswald's warm embrace and, despite the left over adrenaline from tonight's activities which was still buzzing in the back of his brain, he planned to do just that.

  
**“Although why he'd want to share his bed with someone so utterly disappointing is beyond me.”**

  
Edward started, dropping his toothbrush into the sink as he stared at his reflection in horror. Not him, surely? It couldn't be.  
Ever since his marriage to Oswald, Edward had managed to maintain something resembling a balance between his two selves. His husband's steady presence in his life helping him to come to a mild sense of peace with who he was. He didn't want to lose it.

  
His heart sank lower than he could ever have imagined as the man in the mirror waved at him, a cruel smile twisting his features. “Go away” Edward whispered desperately.

  
**“Rude! I wasn't finished”** The Riddler reprimanded **“As I was saying, you surely can't be naive enough to believe that this can continue. That this is what either of you want. Just face up to the fact that he doesn't and never could love the real you.”**

  
“That's not true.”

  
**“You can't know that for sure”** Ed's doppelganger pointed out **“Besides, even if he could would that be such a good thing? It's not as if this is the perfect relationship it's all made out to be. You tried to kill his father and you still haven't told him yet! Hardly what one would call marital bliss and that's only the beginning.”**

  
“Hey, Elijah was your idea!”

  
**“Oh wake up, Eddie. I'm you, remember? It was our idea, we are both guilty. Which is why I ask this simple question. How safe is Oswald? Let's face it; whether we are dashing in to save him from imagined demons, letting his empire fall out from underneath him or thinking about what life would be like should we take just a tiny fraction of his power for our own we are hardly doing him any good. We are in too deep and not only that we are toxic. All that pain, anger and sadness. It will find its way into him and poison him against us, if it hasn't happened already. Can we keep him safe from that? Because if we can't, if we allow ourselves to harm him, then we are as useless as everyone has ever thought we were.”**

  
Ed stood speechless as tears streamed down his face. Every word felt like a stab to the heart. The fact that his alter ego cared for Oswald as much as he did had always been a small comfort. It meant that the chances of Penguin meeting misfortune at his hand was minimal but to hear his own doubts repeated back to him by his usually more confident persona filled him with dread. It was a grim picture but he still tried to make one final attempt at regaining control of the situation, of convincing himself that his fears were unfounded.

  
“We could never harm Oswald” he replied shakily “You know that we would rather die than do that.”

  
Ed had to clap his hands to stop himself from screaming. The Riddler's image flashed in the mirror, appearing suddenly closer. So close that it seemed as though he was going to jump right out of the glass. That wasn't the most fearsome thing about this ghastly apparition; however.  
It was the coal black eyes, deep as mine shafts and filled to the brim with what could only be described as unbridled danger, surrounded by protruding veins which made the vision terrifying to behold.

  
**“Yes, we would”** Edward's hallucination growled viciously **“And that, Ed, is exactly the point I am trying to make.”**

  
Fumbling behind him Edward found the doorknob and rushed out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. Body shaking and chest heaving he curled up in a ball on the floor as sheer panic continued to surge through him.

  
It was then, as he buried his sweaty face in trembling hands, that he felt the slowly fading veins which surrounded his eyes. His heart skipped a beat as he willed himself not to puke. The Tetch virus! He knew he should call someone. Oswald. Lee. Anyone. He needed help. Yet no matter how hard he tried his throat simply refuse to make the noise needed to utter his plea. Ed could feel the virus inside him fighting his efforts, fighting for its own survival. What was he going to do now? What could he do?


	8. An insensitive time to play Bon Jovi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO! So, it has been a LONG time since the last update and there are two reasons for that. Reason 1: My mental health really hasn't been very good lately. I am currently in the process of finding medication and therapy for that.  
> Reason 2: Rewrites! Ever since this fic started what I planned to do with this chapter has been being constantly revised and changed. Since the last chapter update the direction I planned to take this chapter was changed yet again and this chapter you are about to read was completely rewritten four times! So yeah, that was quite time consuming. Due to these revisions one or two of the trigger warning tags I added to this story are no longer relevant. I shall wait until the fic is finished to delete them; however, as this story keeps surprising me.  
> Thanks to Dragofelid and my mum for listening to me talk about this chapter, giving me great suggestions and helping me in various ways.  
> Quick logistics note now: There will be a hallucination and their dialogue will be in italic font. Also these symbols indicate that whatever paragraphs happen in between them are a flashback: ~

Blood. His vision was red with it, his hands covered in it. Blood was the cause of all of this, Edward thought bitterly. So much had already been spilt yet still the universe seemed to scream for more. Well, if that was what everyone wanted then Edward could no doubt oblige. Even as tears streamed down his face he could feel red hot flames of anger threatening to engulf him. Luckily he knew just where to direct all that pent up rage.

  
At the moment; however, he was too busy clutching the limp body in his arms, trying to come to terms with what happened. With what he had done.

  
“I’m so sorry, Oswald” Edward whispered as he buried his face in his husband’s hair. His hand moved automatically to apply pressure to the wound in Penguin’s chest in an attempt to staunch the blood flow but deep down he knew that it was pointless to even try. He had meant for his shot to kill as quickly as possible and for once his aim had remained true.

  
“Don’t worry, Oswald. I’m going to fix this I promise. I have a plan.”

  
“You know, I’m not sure he can hear you. Him being dead and all.”

  
Edward stiffened. For a split second, in his grief, he had forgotten about Barbara. Lying Oswald gently back on the ground Edward got to his feet to turn and face the woman who held his fate in her hands. The woman who had torn his life apart.

  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  
“Now don’t be coy with me, Eddie. I know why you are looking for Strange and I can help you. All I want is a little favour in return.”

  
“Never” Edward spat, conscious but uncaring off the presence of the two armed thugs which now had him at their mercy.

  
For a long while now self preservation had been far from a priority to him and the descent into darkness which the Tetch virus had triggered within him had only served to strengthen his disregard for his own life. He fought for Oswald and Oswald alone. What he did was for the sole purpose of keeping his husband safe. That being the case, there was nothing Barbara or her goons could do to make him yield. Or so Edward thought.

  
“Ed, Ed, Ed” Barbara tutted with a clear hint of glee “You’re the one who is always showing off about what a big brain you have. Why don’t you try using it and think? Oswald dies today, with or without your involvement. Because I’m so nice I’m giving you the chance to make his parting swift, to ease his suffering. You’d be doing him a kindness. I know for a fact that if you turn me down his death will be infinitely more painful for it. I’ll even give you a way to get rid of that pesky virus in return. So, let me ask you again. Are you in?”

  
What could Edward do? He didn’t doubt Barbara’s conviction for a moment. An attempt on Penguin’s life would happen today, of that he was sure. Oswald’s chances of surviving it were impossible to predict. Ed had no way to warn him and was in no fit state to protect him. The only reason he had gone looking for Strange, and as a result had ended up being lured into Ms Kean’s clutches, was because he had been unsure how long he could keep Oswald safe from the violent images in his mind which threatened to actualise themselves at any moment. He didn’t know how much longer he could contain those dangerous urges.

  
Just when this inescapable situation looked its worst; however, Edward caught a glimpse of salvation. It was a long shot and a risky one at that but if he could pull it off? Well, both himself and Oswald would be saved. To put this plan into action though, Ed would have to first give into Barbara’s demands. Oswald would have to die.

  
It was in that moment, whilst Barbara Kean grinned wickedly at him, that for the first time since his father’s death Ed felt the Riddler part of himself consume him. Terror gripped him as he felt his mind and will seemingly drift out of control.

  
In moments of extreme pain and stress when the Riddler took over all Ed could do was hope for the best, he was powerless to do anything else. Right now he just hoped, more than anything, that the love both he and the Riddler had for Oswald was enough to ensure their husband’s survival. Enough to make sure the plan worked.

  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  
“I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that your opinion doesn’t matter to me in the slightest” The Riddler told Barbara in a voice of deadly calm “You got what you wanted. Now it is time for you to uphold your side of the bargain. Where is Strange?”

  
Strange’s habit of turning his patients into monsters hardly inspired confidence but as Lee and her lab team were no closer to finding a cure Ed’s only chance at ridding himself of the Tetch virus was make an ally of that sadist excuse of a medical man.

  
However, it seemed one could not make a deal with the devil without offering the same courtesy to a fair few demons first and Barbara’s price had been high. Luckily for Edward she hadn’t thought her request through. Had she taken the time to do so then she would have realised that all her scheming would ultimately be for nothing. You see, Hugo Strange could bring back the dead. As soon as Ms Kean had outlived her usefulness and been disposed of The Riddler planned to not only get a cure for the virus but also get his husband back at the same time.

  
Despite the fact that Edward knew he’d done the best he could with the situation he had been landed with; however, it didn’t lessen the pain. He had just killed the person he loved most in the whole world. If the virus hadn’t already shattered his already damaged psyche beyond repair then this would have been enough to tear him apart. As it was; Edward, in his current mental and emotional state, resembled live explosives wired up to a hair trigger.

  
Barbara was too busy laughing smugly over her supposed victory to notice the danger she was in; however. “Oh Eddie” she cooed “You didn’t seriously think that I knew where that quack was, did you?”

  
The Riddler was practically blinded with rage. Stooping down he picked up his fallen gun with trembling hands before pointing it squarely at her head. His finger itched to pull the trigger but he fought against it. He had to keep it together for just a little bit longer, for Oswald’s sake.

  
“You’re lying!” Edward bellowed “I know you are thick with Tabitha who knows Butch who, in turn, knows Fish and Fish was the last person to see Strange. Do you seriously expect me to believe that you are clueless as to the doctor’s whereabouts? Well that isn’t going to happen. Now tell me!”

  
The smile didn’t vanish from Barbara’s face but something flickered in the depths of her eyes which betrayed her unease. It had just occurred to her that she had possibly underestimated Nygma. She had assumed that Ed would be too consumed by grief and guilt to pose any immediate threat. He was just Penguin’s lap dog, after all. It was quickly becoming clear to her though that she had made a grave miscalculation. Barbara gave a sigh as she discreetly removed her pistol from her hand bag. It seemed that Nygma would have to die too. Oh well, it was no great loss.

  
“Alright” she said finally “I don’t know where Strange is. That much is true. I do know where you can find Fish though so perhaps she’ll be able to help you. I trust that if I tell you where she is we’ll be cool, right?”

  
Edward nodded curtly. “Of course” he lied.

  
“Well too bad!” Barbara snapped. The shot fired from her gun whizzed harmlessly past as Edward leapt towards his would be killer. Barbara let out a shriek as her pistol was knocked from her hands and she found herself suddenly trapped in a vice like grip.

  
It was as she stared up into jet black eyes surrounded by protruding veins that terror finally claimed her but by then it was too late to do her any good. She gulped and stared down at the sparkling blade which was being pressed against her throat, slowly gathering raindrops on its shining surface as the heavens opened above the dank grey dockside. “I… please” Barbara stammered, her breath coming in short sharps gasps.

  
"Tell me what you know!" The Riddler growled as he pushed the blade harder against his captive's skin.

  
Barbara winced as a thick trickle of blood began to ooze its way down her neck. "Fish is in an abandoned estate on the outskirts of town. On the road heading South. That's all I can tell you, now let me go!"

  
Edward raised an eyebrow; surprised by the bossy tone which, in spite of everything, still clung to her voice. Obviously Ms Kean thought that now she had given him what he wanted that the danger had passed. She thought wrong. The Riddler waited a moment before replying, savouring the power he held over the person who had used him so cruelly. "No" he hissed "You don't get to walk away from this."

  
"But…"

  
"YOU USED ME! YOU FORCED ME TO KILL THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAS EVER LOVED ME! YOU MADE ME DO WHAT I SWORE I NEVER WOULD! YOU TURNED ME INTO A MONSTER!"

  
The blade flashed as warm blood splattered everywhere, Edward's shouts and Barbara's screams drowning out the sickening sound of the dagger sinking repeatedly into flesh. Again and again The Riddler struck before, after a final deep slash across the throat, he allowed the long dead body to hit the ground.

  
He heaved a heavy sigh and spat out a mouthful of metallic tasting crimson fluid onto the floor. His face, as well as most of the rest of him in fact, had been covered in the late Barbara Kean but he didn't care. It had been worth it to ensure that she had gotten what she had deserved. Now that that was over he could turn his attention to more pressing matters.  
After wiping his blood stained glasses with his pocket square Edward made his way over to where his husband lay. Legs threatening to buckle, he bent down and gently caressed Oswald's face, smoothing raven coloured hair out of lifeless eyes and feeling hot tears trickle slowly down his own face.

  
"It will be alright, Oswald. I promise" Edward mumbled, clutching Penguin close as he allowed himself a moment to be consumed by his grief once more. Not that he could wallow in sorrow for long, not if he wanted to be in with a chance of reversing all the terrible things which had taken place that day.

  
Upper body strength had never been one of The Riddler's strong points and, although still light, Oswald (thanks to Edward and Gertrud's cooking) had been steadily been putting on weight over the past couple of years. As a result of both those things Edward wasn't able to pick his husband up the way he would have liked. Instead, mumbling apologies as he went, Edward was forced to half carry half drag Penguin's body to the car, hoisting him up into the backseat with difficulty before laying him down gently.

  
Edward knew that the boot would be a safer option. What if someone saw the corpse and started asking questions? He couldn't bring himself to move Oswald; however, no matter how sensible an idea it may be.

  
Barbara's body was left at the docks. The Riddler didn't care what happened to her now. Had he been watching out of his rear view mirror as he drove away he would have seen an agent of, the as yet unheard of in Gotham, Ra's Al Ghul approach her mutilated form but his attention was understandably elsewhere.

  
The car zoomed down the road at a dangerous speed, the driver of the vehicle starting violently every couple of seconds, fingers twitching and eyes darting fretfully in all directions. He was supposed to be keeping an eye out for cops but all Edward could see was Oswald's panicked tear streaked face as the bullet claimed him. The moment replayed over and over again inside Edward’s head like a roll of film, filling his vision completely.

  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  
“Do it!”

  
“Ed, what’s going on? I don’t understand.”

  
Oswald looked between Barbara and his husband in confusion as he continued his relentless yet fruitless struggle against the rope which bound his hands. He knew what this seemed like but he simply refused to believe it. Ed would never ally himself with Barbara and help her in her attempts to take him down. There had to be something else going on surely, Oswald thought desperately. Still, he could feel his heart breaking more and more with every passing second as the silence stretched on. Despite all this; however, Penguin managed to keep his tears at bay. That was until Edward pulled out a gun.

  
“Ed! Ed, please!” he cried pitifully “Talk to me. Ed, please, whatever power she has over you I can help. Just trust me. Just let me go.”

  
“Shut up, Pengy!” Barbara snapped before turning her attention to Edward, circling him like shark does its prey. “Now be a good boy, Nygma, and finish the job. Kill him!” she ordered.

  
Quaking where he stood, Penguin threw all thoughts of dignity aside as he pleaded with his husband, begging him to see reason. It couldn’t end like this, not after all they had been through together.

 

“Edward, I beg of you, please don’t!” Oswald cried “I don’t know what is that I have done to hurt you but I swear I didn’t mean to do it. I would never try to hurt you. Please believe me! We can fix this, together. We’ll find a way I promise.”

  
The Riddler screwed his eyes shut, wishing that he could put his hands over his ears to block out the sound of his husband’s voice. With each word Oswald spoke it grew harder and harder for him force himself to do what must be done. Edward wanted more than anything to at least explain to Oswald what was going on. To let him know that he had done nothing wrong and this was actually for his own good. Unfortunately Barbara’s presence made it out of the question. All Edward could do was tighten his grip on his pistol as he braced himself for what would undoubtedly be the worst moment of his life.

 

“Edward… I love you” Oswald sobbed, his voice no more than a choked whisper.

  
“I love you too, Oswald.”

  
Bang!

  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  
Seeing a secluded turn off and recognising that he was currently in no fit state to drive, Edward pulled the car over to the side of the road and switched off the engine. Resting his head on the steering wheel he let out an anguished moan.

 

He needed to focus, needed to get back in control. There was so much to do. Both Fish and Strange had to be found plus it was of the utmost importance that he also found a way to store Oswald’s body until he could be resurrected. Perhaps he could use whatever remained of Lucius Fox’s connections at Wayne Enterprises to gain access to Victor Fries’ stolen technology?

  
It wouldn’t be easy but something would have to be done and soon otherwise the consequences didn’t bare thinking about. As if on cue an unbidden image of what would happen to Penguin’s corpse if it wasn’t put on ice soon entered The Riddler’s mind and he gagged as bile rose in his throat.

  
_“You love me? Really? Doesn’t exactly look like it to me.”_

 

Edward sat bolt upright, trembling all over as he whipped round to look at the back seat. Oswald was lying as still and lifeless as ever. Yet there was no mistaking that voice. Edward closed his eyes for a moment, trying to gather his courage, before opening them once more and directing his gaze to the passenger seat beside him, dreading what he would find there.

  
_“Yes, I have to say I am rather doubtful about that last statement of yours. Judging by the look on your face you aren’t exactly pleased to see me”_ a second Oswald, torso soaked with blood, drawled.

 

“I’d rather see you alive and well as opposed to just a vision in my head” Edward whispered hoarsely. As he looked into those cold piercing eyes it took everything he possessed to hold himself back from trying to embrace the figure next to him. He knew that what he was seeing wasn’t real but he wanted to believe it so badly. He needed Oswald there with him.

 

_“Well the perhaps you shouldn’t have shot me!”_

  
The voice rang out sharply, chilling The Riddler to the core. He had shot him. He had shot Oswald! Even now it was still almost impossible to take in.

  
But he had done the right thing though or the best he could have done given the circumstances. Deep down Edward didn’t believe it, hence Penguin’s doppelganger’s views on the subject, but perhaps if he repeated it enough one day he’d convince himself that it was true. It was all he could hope for.

  
“I can fix it. I WILL fix it” Edward argued in a tired voice, unable to stop himself from replying or to find reasons to care about said fact. Very little mattered to him anymore and the fact that he was basically talking to thin air was something he had long since grown accustomed to.

 

_“Well then you had better get to it then”_ hallucination Oswald replied _“Failure is not an option here, Ed.”_

  
The Riddler sighed. He was right, of course. Seeing as the second Penguin was simply a projection of his own psyche it was hardly surprising. Still, harsh tones and high expectations were not what he needed right now. “Please” Edward whimpered “Just say something like what he’d actually say. Anything. Please.”

  
Silence followed and Edward all but gave up hope. It had been foolish, let alone selfish, to expect comfort from something which was powerless to give it. Besides, even if the real Oswald had been in a situation to speak to him it was unlikely that he would have anything kind to say either. The Riddler didn’t deserve kindness.

  
_“You did it out of love, that is all that matters. Love is all that will ever matter between us and an act of love could never part us entirely. Never”_ Oswald’s image whispered finally, voice sad and expression tender.

  
Tears built up behind Edward’s glasses so he removed them, placing them on the dashboard before his body gave way to violent gut wrenching sobs. He hugged himself tightly, his vocal cords shredded by his screams and face soaked with the tears which only ceased to fall when the strain became to much and he blacked out.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know I promised that they would both be alive at the end of this fic and I stick by that promise. So please don't worry and please don't kill me. This chapter was super painful for me too!! 😭


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